《When Bright Moon Encounter the Dark Clouds》


 Chapter 1: Tan Jiao 01 (1)

    Even now, I could remember clearly the ship¡¯s appearance.


    The ship was immaculately white and brand new. It had three floors; the first floor was a public area, while the second and third floors were guest rooms with luxurious and comfortable interiors. The ship was called Yunnan Beauty, and it departed from Dali, Yunnan Province for the deep mountain lakes on the twenty-third of June, 2016.


    It was a trip that I had always longed for and also a trip that changed my destiny.


    Our lives were knitted together on that very ship.


    But we almost got split up later on.


    My name is Tan Jiao, and I am a web novel author that specializes in romance novels with mystery elements. My pen name is Qi Zhu. Even though I am not very skilled, I have made some money and gained some fame. Since I have plenty of free time, I go traveling whenever I¡¯m not writing novels. However, I always sign up with travel agencies for those easy and worry-free trips. Compared to my other artsy writer friends who like to go hiking, the way I think is quite different.


    I still recall the clear skies of that day, with a few white clouds scattered across the blue sky. The ship set out in the morning and sailed into a crystal clear river surrounded by mountains. As this was a newly established route without a high repute and cost, few people signed up and came on this trip.


    I stayed in my room all morning, either watching drama while laying on my two-meter-long bed, nestling on the sofa to play games, or enjoying the breeze on the balcony. Peaceful and at ease.


    I saw him when I was on the balcony.


    I did not want to join the welcoming party held in the first-floor restaurant at noon. First, I did not feel like listening to the tour guide talk about the itinerary and precautions since they were already in the passenger handbook. Secondly, I did not believe I would make any friends on such a short trip.


    As such, I leaned on the balcony railing with a half-filled cup of plum wine, sipping it as I basked in the sun.


    At this moment, he came out from the room next door.


    The light got in my eyes, so I used my hands to shield them as I looked at him.


    He looked back at me calmly.


    He wore a white T-shirt with a pair of dark, coffee-colored pants. He wore a pair of black casual shoes that contrasted against his white socks. It was said that men that wear white socks were proud men, outwardly cold but deep and passionate inside. He had short trimmed hair. His clearly outlined face and slightly high cheekbones gave him a masculine contour. Conversely, his facial features were delicate.


    How attractive.


    I subconsciously straightened my back, no longer hunching over the railing like a puddle of mud. I even changed the way I held my wine glass, grasping it elegantly with three fingers.


    I knew he was checking me out.


    I heard I had a very deceptive appearance, the sweet type. My best friend told me that I have a loli-like appearance but seemed caring like a big sister. Even though I¡¯m already 23, I have not been in a serious relationship. I went on a blind date once, but that was a failure not worth mentioning.


    Then he smiled and said, ¡°Hello.¡±


    I replied, ¡°Hi.¡±


    He asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the welcoming party?¡±


    I swirled the wine glass in my hand and replied, ¡°I think those welcoming parties are very dull.¡±


    He let out a chuckle and said, ¡°Too bad I took my chance. I surrendered and came out after 10 minutes.¡±


    I could not help but let out a laugh as well. This guy is somewhat interesting.


    Laughing as well, his sight fell upon the glass of wine in my hand. ¡°Drinking alone?¡±


    Swirling my cup, I said, ¡°Plum wine, it¡¯s only about 10 percent.¡± We stood less than two meters apart with only a guardrail between us. Then I asked, ¡°You want some?¡±


    He glanced at me.


    His jet-black eyes were extremely charming. They had the calmness of a mature man and also seemingly a hint of the innocence of a boy.

 Chapter 2: Tan Jiao 01 (2)

    After he brought a glass over, I reached over the railings and took it to pour him some wine. As he lowered his head, he appeared fixated on something. I had no idea if he was staring at the wine or something else. Noticing a few calluses on his fingers and wet ink on his wrist, I suddenly found this guy somewhat cute.


    His eyebrows relaxed after tasting the wine.


    I asked, ¡°It tastes good, right?¡±


    He answered, ¡°It¡¯s very good.¡±


    With a hint of joy, I said, ¡°This is my mother¡¯s brew, an exclusive and unique brew.¡±


    A gentle look appeared on his face as he said, ¡°No wonder, cheers.¡±


    I felt like he was a pleasant guy to be around.


    I refilled our cups¡ªboth halfway to the top¡ªafter he gulped down his first cup. Clouds quickly gathered around the sun to cover it, providing us with shade. We leaned on the railing and slowly enjoyed the wine as a breeze blew over us.


    He asked, ¡°Did you come with friends?¡±


    I answered, ¡°No, I came alone.¡±


    He looked shocked, probably because he rarely came across girls that traveled alone.


    After finishing his glass of wine in one go, he gazed at the sea while rubbing the wine glass with his finger before asking, ¡°Since you came alone and need to have dinner afterward, would you mind if¡­ we sat together? We can talk more at dinner.¡±


    Even though I had only spent half an hour with him, my heart gently and briefly pound against my chest when he asked me that.


    It was not that I had not been hit on before; it was just that those previous guys were average.


    Looking at the waters as well, I replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    He smiled. I have to say, the way he looked down and smiled was very moving. A bright and clean smile that seemed like wind blowing through a bamboo forest. To my surprise, my face felt warm so I had no choice but to turn my head away. Pretending to look at some scenery, pretending to be a mature and calm woman when faced with this kind of situation.


    Yet, I saw a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. This made me think that he did not hit on women often. That was what my instincts told me.


    ¡°Shall we meet at the restaurant entrance at five-thirty?¡±


    I felt my heart tremble slightly as I said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t know what your name is.¡±


    I looked him in the eye and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we meet later.¡±


    After going through what to wear in front of the mirror, I ultimately picked a goose yellow dress. My mind kept replaying the moment when we were together, thinking about all the little details and every word he said. I could not help but mentally rehearse the things I would tell him when we met his evening.


    My name is Tan Jiao. It''s the Tan with the radical Yan, while Jiao is the character for bright.


    [TL note: The character for Tan is written as Ì·; the radical Yan refers to the left of the character for speak ÑÔ]


    What do you do? Hold on, let me guess.


    And me? I¡¯m a web novel writer. Have you heard of this profession? Since we don¡¯t know each other that well, I won¡¯t tell you my pen name.


    ¡­¡­


    This was the first time I had such feelings about a man.


    My time on the ship felt slow and dull while I waited for five-thirty to come. Soon, I decided to go out for a walk.


    Even though it was cloudy now, the picturesque scenery on both sides of the straits was still beautiful. Occasionally, I would come across guests that were taking pictures in the corridor. A well-dressed server smiled and nodded as I passed him. Walking with a spring in my step, I quickly took a few pictures on the deck before entering the restaurant.


    After the welcoming party ended, there were still some guests who stayed behind, chatting and taking pictures in groups of threes and twos. After finding an area without anyone, I sat down.


    I like to observe the people I encounter when I am bored. This is probably a habit I picked up as a writer.


    For example, the young couple in front of me, likely a couple because they had their fingers interlocked, and they had similar-looking rings on their ring fingers. The woman¡¯s dress and shoes were brand new. Even though I could only see the sides of their faces, I could still determine that the man was the dominant one in this relationship. From the man¡¯s calm and indifferent smile to the woman¡¯s longing look, all of these signs indicated what kind of relationship they had.

 Chapter 3: Tan Jiao 01 (3)

    A few steps ahead were a group of colleagues from the same company. They were harmonious but did not seem close enough to be considered best friends. To their right was a mother and daughter pair. They looked wealthy and seemed very timid. At the corner sat a lonely woman, probably an office worker. Not far from her stood a man, who seemed like a gentleman but had a gloomy look in his eyes¡­


    Right then, he walked past the window.


    My heart skipped a beat before I saw the girl following him. The girl held onto his arm, and the two of them stuck together closely. He looked away from the ship so I could not see his expression. However, I was able to see the girl¡¯s face. Her facial features were delicate but her eyes were teary.


    At this moment, my heart sank, and anger slowly crept up. I got up without hesitating and followed them to find out what was going on.


    If this is his girlfriend, then it¡¯s very likely he¡¯s a jerk. He even had the gall to drink my plum wine!


    There was no one around this part of the ship, as it was far away from the restaurant and almost at the end of the corridor. As expected, I heard his cold and deep voice coming from around the corner. ¡°Tell me. How are you going to not let everyone down?¡±


    I stopped in my tracks. After hesitating for a moment, I peeked my head out slightly to find a dramatic scene around the corner.


    Pressed against the wall, the girl lowered her head and kept on wiping her tears. The guy, however, had a somber look on his face and veins popping out on his forehead. He was like a different person now. He held a book in his other hand firmly, almost crumbling it.


    He yelled out, ¡°You said you¡¯ve never traveled, so I brought you here. Did you think this money fell out from the sky? I had to burn the midnight oil, helping my professor to earn this money. When can you grow up a little? How many times have you failed the fourth-grade exam? All day long you indulge yourself. How are you going to find a job in the future with your poor grades? Are you going to depend on me? Huh? Is that your plan? Why aren¡¯t you talking? Look me in the eye, don¡¯t look down! Why won¡¯t you look me in the eye?¡±


    The scolding he gave was rather harsh.


    Suddenly, I felt like I did not know him anymore. The fact was I did not know him at all. No matter who this girl was to him, I abruptly felt like I had lost interest in him.


    I felt an emptiness in my heart once more.


    As I was turning to leave, the guy continued his scolding once more, ¡°Even if your grades are poor, why can¡¯t you participate in more social activities to improve your overall skills? Maybe learn something useful and obtain some certification? Don¡¯t you know how competitive our current society is? All you do is read these stupid books, nonsensical romance. Utter trash! What future could you have?¡±


    He threw the book to the ground.


    I had intended to simply forget about the matter; not caring about whether he was two-timing.


    However, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the book¡¯s cover.


    As though a weak current of electricity had shocked my head, my brain suddenly jolted into action.


    On the cover were the words: Author: Qi Zhu.


    Piece of sh*t, I wrote that book.


    I slowly raised my head. At this moment, he noticed that someone else was there. He turned to look at me, but the malicious look meant to teach the girl a lesson had not faded away.


    Raising the corner of my lips, I let out a cold snort. My gay friend told me that this expression of mine was perfect, bitchy and annoying. Then immediately, as shock covered his face, I strode away.


    That was my first encounter with him. I thought he was a great guy. Thought I was so lucky and had found myself a treasure. Who would have known he was merely a scum that had trampled on my book.


    After I got back to my room and shut the door behind me, I thought, This scummy guy. Even if he chases after me desperately, I won¡¯t accept him.

 Chapter 4: Wu Yu 01 (1)

    ¡ª¡ªWu Yu¡ª¡ª


    Previously, I had not intended to go on this trip.


    Not only am I occupied with helping my professor, but I also needed to prepare for my internship in a company of my choosing. However, my mother suggested I take a break since I have been working hard for so long. She also mentioned Wu Miao to test my reaction. Since I yelled at Wu Miao last time, she became listless for a while and did not go out with her friends to have fun. Her grades also became worse.


    This made me feel a little irritable, so I said, ¡°Mom, if you have something to say, just say it. You don¡¯t need to beat around the bush.¡±


    She paused for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I just think that we¡¯ve been depending on you for so long. The money you¡¯ve earned working in college is paying for Wu Miao¡¯s school fees and our living expenses. I worry for you, but I also hope that you can ease your relationship with your little sister. She had always wanted to go traveling¡­¡±


    My life and work plans¡ªso tightly packed that even a needle would not fit through them¡ªultimately gave way to my mother¡¯s sorrow. A few days later, at my friend¡¯s recommendation, I found this tour group and signed up for Wu Miao and myself.


    Wu Miao was still a little afraid of me when I called her. But when she heard that we were going to Yun Nan for a trip, she became exuberant and said joyfully, ¡°Thank you, big brother! Long live big brother!¡± I ended the call and unexpectedly felt a dash of joy deep inside my heart. I had this thought flash through my mind, I¡¯ve been studying so hard in another province for so long. I¡¯ve been gone more than I¡¯ve been at home. Have I been too harsh on her, causing her to become more fearful of me compared to when we were young?


    This thought only flashed by for an instant. After ending the call, I went right back to the work at hand. Waiting for the day our trip started.


    Who would have known that after I stepped foot on that ship, my life would collapse around me. My mother and my little sister¡¯s lives would also become determined after that.


    On the first day of boarding, when everyone went to the welcoming party, I worked overtime in my room.


    I did not expect to meet her at this time.


    At first, I was immersed in calculating the data set. However, a persistent sound soon disturbed me. After paying attention to the delicate sound, I figured it was someone hitting the railing gently with a glass. Curious, I put down my pen, went outside, and saw her.


    First, I noticed her sparkling eyes and her black eyebrows. She had a shade of a woman¡¯s laziness but also a girl¡¯s innocence and purity. The thing making the sound was none other than the glass in her hand.


    I felt captivated for an instant. I could not describe that feeling. It was like the sunshine that warmed our skin, that lazy feeling that left me somewhat charmed.


    We chatted for a while and unexpectedly clicked. She was generous and had a great sense of humor. She knew how to enjoy life. I had never met a woman like this in my social circle. The very few girls that were in my engineering school were not as pretty or as interesting as her. There were ¡®beauties¡¯ from other schools that chased after me, but I did not fancy any of them. Plus, I was too busy for any romantic relationship.


    I still had half a year of master''s degree, and after that, I could nail down a very good job prospect. I could finally catch my breath.


    I never expected to meet someone that I had feelings for. But since I had the luck of meeting her, I reckoned I had the right to have an attempt.


    I asked her out for dinner, and she agreed with a slight hue of red on her face. I figured she was an amateur in dating, which delighted me.

 Chapter 5: Wu Yu 01 (2)

    I maintained my pleasant mood up until I checked Wu Miao¡¯s grade four results; up until I discovered she had failed again. Looking at her poor grades, the anger inside me surged once more. I rushed into her room and found her curled up on the bed, enjoying a book with a brightly colored cover. She became startled when she saw me come in; intuitively, she tucked the book under her blanket. I grabbed the book and let out a bitter smile when I saw the cover.


    The title of the book was pretentious and nauseating, while the author¡¯s name was Qi Zhu. Thanks to Wu Miao, even I knew about this woman. On one occasion, Wu Miao had even tried to put up the case that this writer was a ¡®god-level writer¡¯. I felt dubious about it at that time, so I gave it a read. I stopped after a few pages because the book was all about mushy romance and overt displays of affection.


    I should have known that Wu Miao would be hiding in her room reading her books. A nineteen-year-old like her would definitely lose interest in studying when she was reading this poison every day.


    For a family like ours, we do not have the luxury of not working hard or studying hard.


    With a stern look on my face, I turned and walked out. Realizing she was in trouble, Wu Miao quickly chased after me.


    I never thought she would run into me while I was chastising a sobbing Wu Miao.


    I saw her there the instant I turned my head. At that moment, a trace of regret cropped up in my mind. I never wanted outsiders to witness our family disputes, nor did I want her to see this.


    I was speechless.


    She had a strange look in her eyes as she looked at the book on the ground.


    When she finally lifted her gaze to look at me, her lips curled into a sneer. After giving me a dirty look, she walked away.


    I had no clue why she became angry. Perhaps she had misunderstood my relationship with Wu Miao?


    After returning to the room, Wu Miao stopped crying. She sat in front of the table and started to recite her grade four vocabulary. She even poured me some water. I knew she was worried about me and was trying to curry favor with me. So with my voice strained, I said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to go hang out at the bar? I¡¯ll bring you there after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thank you, big brother,¡± she replied softly.


    Even though my mood was mellow, I suddenly felt stuffy, so I left her room without saying anything.


    The sun leaned close to the west, and it was almost time for my date with that girl. I sat at my desk, thinking about her expression at that time. She had even changed into a very beautiful dress. Was it for our date? I could not focus on my work anymore. I saw the clean glass ashtray on the table; I did not smoke. I picked it up casually; then I went to the balcony.


    I gently tapped it against the metal railing outside. I knew she would hear the clear and rhythmic ¡®clings¡¯.


    Sure enough, soon after, she came out angrily.


    She questioned me, ¡°What are you tapping at?¡±


    I felt the urge to laugh when I saw how pissed she was. But I soon noticed that she had changed out from that beautiful dress and was instead wearing an old white T-shirt, shorts, and slippers.


    Evidently, she had changed her mind about having dinner with me.


    I stared at her and asked, ¡°Why did you change?¡±


    Bemused transiently, she probably had not expected me to ask about this. With eyes wide open, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    As though a different person, she was no longer kind and considerate. She became thorny, pricking my bewitched heart to its senses.


    I tried to clarify. ¡°Did you misunderstand something? The girl just now was not my¡­¡±


    Right then, she glanced at me as if she was contemplating something. She seemingly knew what I wanted to explain, but she did not give me a chance to. Soon, she spoke with confidence, ¡°Judging from the position of the calluses on your finger, I can tell that you write a lot. The wet ink on your wrist was from mathematical calculations. Typical engineering. Not forgetting to work on your vacation, what an abnormal person.¡±


    I became dumbfounded. She is¡­ observing and analyzing me?

 Chapter 6: Wu Yu 01 (3)

    I thought I had come across a sweet and charming woman. Yet, after seeing me yell at Wu Miao, she revealed her hostility to me.


    She took another glance at me, seemingly hesitant. Then she bit her lip and continued her barrage, ¡°The brand of the T-shirt you¡¯re wearing is good, and even your pants are new. But your shoes are old and cheap. This shows that you come from a middle-income family, so you¡¯re thrifty by nature. You came on this trip with the money you made by helping your professor with projects, right? But¡­¡± She paused for a moment and looked me in the eye. ¡°That beautiful girlfriend of yours is also wearing very plain clothes. That means her family¡¯s financial situation is similar to yours. However, she was not wearing a single piece of new clothing. Someone has been buying new clothes to show off but didn¡¯t get her any. Humph¡­¡±


    I felt stunned; I had never anticipated her to talk about this matter. Wu Miao¡¯s appearance promptly appeared in my mind. I admit I had never minded what Wu Miao wore. I had never taken note of the old and cheap branded clothing my mother and Wu Miao had been wearing. I sent the excess money I made recently to my mother while keeping a little bit for my living expenses. Being a thrifty person as well, perhaps my mother could not bear to spend the money. My mother had also been talking about saving money for my marriage.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± I asked.


    While glaring at me, she took half a step back and moved her torso to face the entrance to her room; perhaps, she had sensed the anger growing inside me and was now set to escape at any moment. She said, ¡°Mister, I hope you¡¯re not thinking that I am prying into your personal affairs. I¡¯m absolutely not interested in it. I¡¯m just intervening in an unjust situation that I saw. I bet you never thought a stranger like me could judge you with the few interactions we had. Like that book you threw on the ground, you never read it seriously, did you? How would you know it''s not a wonderful and touching book? That book has been the best-seller among youth literature for eight consecutive weeks! Yet, you say it¡¯s rubbish and nonsense. You arrogant, snobbish man!¡±


    Her sudden change of topic mid-conversation confused me. Yet, she was already walking toward her room as she said, ¡°These small clues tell a bigger story. Since you don¡¯t care for your girlfriend, of course, you¡¯ll think she¡¯s reading trash. You don¡¯t respect or understand her enough.


    ¡°You may be poor, diligent, self-disciplined, intelligent, and ambitious. Yet, you¡¯re talking about grades, overall abilities, and competitiveness while on vacation? You¡¯re the type of person that does everything with a strong purpose.


    ¡°Let me give you some advice. We should neither live our lives too purposefully nor too selfishly. Otherwise, you might lose a lot when you¡¯ve made your gains in the future. You might even lose what you cherish the most, making you regret everything you¡¯ve done!¡±


    I felt a sting in my heart. I looked at her arrogant figure from behind and felt the urge to bring her back. Although I wanted to give her an explanation, I did not want to at the same time.


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡± I heard myself say with a cold tone. ¡°She¡¯s my sister.¡±


    She stopped and seemed a little embarrassed, but she still kept her head up and said, "It¡¯s the same logic!"


    After she gave me a good scolding, she returned to her room, leaving me alone on the balcony. After standing there briefly, I looked down at my watch and saw that it was already five-twenty.


    I went to Wu Miao¡¯s room and saw that she was still working on her grade-four questions with a frown and a pencil in her mouth. I patted her head and said, "Let''s go eat." She immediately tossed the pencil aside and cheered, "Oh yeah!"


    I told Wu Miao to go to the restaurant first while I stood outside the entrance.


    The sky gradually darkened, and it began to pour. The rain came suddenly, hitting the ship''s top and decks, pitter-patter, pitter-patter. I leaned against the wall in the corridor, waiting at the door. Suddenly, I realized that I did not even know her name.


    Later on, I would not even have the chance to know her name.

 Chapter 7: Tan Jiao 02 (1)

    ¡ª¡ªTan Jiao¡ª¡ª


    I opened my eyes abruptly to find myself lying on my sofa at home.


    My brain froze.


    I recall hearing the rain tapping away at the window and could even feel the chilliness of a rainy night. However, the familiarity I felt reminded me of where I am¡ªthe room, the sofa, and the cupboard.


    After I sat up and drank some hot water I poured from my thermal flask, the sensations I felt gradually seemed real.


    So I took a nap just now and dreamed about the trip from a few weeks ago? Yet, the dream felt extremely real, down to every little detail. Every word I said and all the sensations I felt were still fresh in my memory. Even the sensation of the fine-sand-textured curtains on the balcony lingered on my fingertips.


    I looked up at the clock and saw that it was only ten something in the morning. Leaning on the railing of my balcony while basking in the sun, my heart calmed down as I thought to myself, This shouldn¡¯t be. I never met up with that guy after having that heated argument on the first day of boarding that ship. Nor did I contact him after the trip.Like a floating cloud, he vanished without a leaving trace. So why would I have this dream that left a deep impression?


    I went back to the living room, turned on my computer, and shared my doubts with my best friend, Zhuang Yu.


    Zhuang Yu, whose real name was Zhou Xiaoyu, was also a web novel author. Zhuang Yu was famous for her thriller science fiction stories on the internet. We both stayed in the city of Dali, but she was younger than me and was still in college. Our friendship was perfectly harmonious, and our thoughts were always synchronized. There was nothing we could not talk about when we were together.


    I asked her, ¡°Yu¡¯er. Why did I dream about that ship and him?¡±


    Zhuang Yu replied, ¡°The identity is not important. The fact is you dreamt about a guy.¡±


    Zhuang Yu continued, ¡°You¡¯re thirsting for some love, virgin Zhu.¡±


    [TL note: Female lead¡¯s pen name is Qi Zhu.]


    I replied calmly, ¡°Hehe¡­ You¡¯re speaking as though you¡¯re not a virgin.¡±


    ¡°... Why are we in for a tit-for-tat?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, blame it on our hollow writer hearts.¡±


    After making an appointment with Zhuang Yu for lunch tomorrow, she went offline to continue with her studies. As for me, I went on the net for news articles as usual; this was one of the ways I found inspiration.


    Living in the city center, I stayed alone in an apartment that I paid the down payment for using all the money I received from my best-seller last year. (In fact, it was the book that that jerk threw to the ground).


    I slept until I woke up naturally, and then I went for a stroll downstairs to look for food. That was my daily life. I work at home during the day: reading, researching for materials, or writing. In the evening or on the weekend, I would go shopping or have dinner with my friends. Sometimes, I would simply stay at home all day and play games. As for trips like last time on the ship, it would depend on my mood. When I have an impulse, I might just sign up for a trip and go on vacation.


    That was why it was not completely unreasonable to say that people like us were empty and thirsty for love.


    A netizen exposed that the son of a wealthy man was caught during an anti-pornography operation. I lost interest after taking a brief look at the photo of the young master; not only was he ugly, but he was also old-fashioned.


    According to a public account, a murder case allegedly occurred in a small neighborhood in the city a few days ago. The victim, who died a gruesome death, was a woman in her forties, and there were even signs of sexual assault. My curiosity aroused, I took a look at the blurry photo of the victim; it showed a corpse covered in numerous wounds of unknown cause. It was rather terrifying.


    However, a netizen swiftly came out with a logical explanation, claiming that the photo was photoshopped. Others were even trying to scare people by saying that this was not the first case, but rather a series of homicides. They claimed that a man in his thirties had died similarly; they even posted his name and workplace. Yet, another netizen came out strongly saying, ¡°Bullshit! XX and I were colleagues working in the same company. He died in a car crash¡­¡±


    That was how news on the internet was¡ªa mixture of truth and falsehood that left everyone intoxicated. With my daily consumption of such food for thought, it is no wonder that I am unable to find a boyfriend.

 Chapter 8: Tan Jiao 02 (2)

    I never would have thought that people would drive the conversation toward talking about men in such a post.


    Quite a few people commented, ¡°The back of that police officer in the background of that photo is so attractive¡­¡±


    ¡°That is so true. His legs are long, and his waist is slim. Even the back of his head is attractive.¡±


    I looked at the straightened back of the police officer in the blurry photo and thought to myself, He¡¯s not even attractive. I almost got together with a more handsome one, and the only reason I didn¡¯t was that I didn¡¯t want to accept him.


    It was a long story. The only time I went on a blind date was with a guy that worked as a police officer.


    This happened the month before the last, before the trip. My classmate¡¯s mother introduced that guy to me. He was handsome, and he even had a dimple when he smiled. But after meeting him a few times, I realized there was a difference between reality and ideals.


    This cop was unsophisticated and brutally honest. The things he talked about were dull and bland, and he knew absolutely nothing about literature, writings, traveling, or the internet. Most of the time, we sat in silence. I felt extremely awkward, yet he was able to smile bashfully, thinking he did well. Where was his dominance? Confidence? Licentious behavior? The cigarette held between those rough fingers? Absolutely nowhere to be found. He told me that he did not smoke because it was bad for his health.


    The straw that broke the camel''s back was an SMS he later sent me. He probably did it to get close to me. It was a joke he found online; he even added, ¡°Miss Tan, I saw this joke in the morning. It¡¯s pretty funny; all my colleagues laughed their heads off. I¡¯m sharing it with you.¡±


    When I looked at the unbearably lousy joke with absolutely no punch line, which I had seen three years ago, I felt pushed to the end of my patience. There was no way we could stay together happily if our sense of humor was so drastically different. As such, I immediately called the matchmaker and tactfully told her that our personalities were too unmatched.


    The guy was pretty straightforward as well, so we never talked to each other again after that.


    Suddenly, I felt a faint ache in my heart at the thought of this.


    That was why I think my recent encounters with men were cruel compared to when I had none. Even though I met two handsome men one after the other, our interactions turned sour as soon as we met.


    As I was about to shut off my computer after browsing through enough news articles, I had a thought and typed Yunnan Beauty into the search box.


    No related information.


    That travel route must have stopped working.


    I had completed a book recently, so I did not have the motivation to write anymore. But my readers did not think so. Upon checking Weibo, I saw everyone urging for a new book and complaining, ¡°Goddess, we¡¯ve been waiting for so long. Did you disappear from the face of the earth?¡±


    I thought, A month or two isn¡¯t that long, right? Better stay offline to hide under the radar.


    Around evening, I drove to get dinner. On the way back, I noticed a new auto repair shop near my neighborhood. The bright red banner in front of the store attracted my attention: Grand opening deal! Sign up for membership to get twelve car washes for one hundred Yuan. I took a look at my dirty car and could not even recall when I last washed it.


    I drove my car to the entrance of the auto repair shop.


    It was dark, and the sign at the door rattled in the wind. The store was bright and tidy, probably because their new business did not have many customers yet. Several repairmen were sitting in the store. One of them, who seemed cute and likable, came out to meet me. ¡°Hi miss, what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Car wash. Also, the paint on the front of the car is a little scratched, so can you fix it? I won¡¯t go to an after-sales shop if you can do a good job.¡±


    ¡°Sure we can,¡± he hurriedly said; then he turned to the store and yelled, ¡°Brother Yu, come take a look?¡± Then he said to me, ¡°Miss, you have a good car. I¡¯ll get our number 1 guy to look at your car.¡±


    I replied, ¡°Sure.¡±

 Chapter 9: Tan Jiao 02 (3)

    A few seconds after he called out, a repairman stood up. He was tall, almost blocking the light from the ceiling. Dressed in a simple tank top and a pair of jeans, he had a tight body that still had proportionate muscles that glowed slightly red because of the sweat and hard work. You could almost imagine the contours of his abs from his narrow waist. Stains covered his unsophisticated jeans, yet he seemed rustic and unrestrained in them.


    He seemed to have a physique that results in a feeling of having one''s personal space being violated, making me feel as though something had touched my face.


    As such, after only a glance, I moved my sights away. Vaguely, I had the impression that his facial features were proper and attractive. After a second or two, as though the corner of my eyes had legs of their own, I took another glance at his back.


    He passed by in front of me.


    His slightly long bangs covered his forehead, and he had his face turned the other way, so I could not take a good look at his face. He did not greet me, acting as though I, the owner of the car, was not here. He crouched down and used his finger to wipe away the dirt, revealing the scratch underneath. There were calluses on his long-fingered hand, on his fingertips, and the area between his thumb and index finger. His rough hands that belonged to a repairman seemed somewhat sexy to me for some reason.


    He stood up and put on his gloves. My height did not even reach his shoulders. I had wanted to poke his back with my finger, yet I could not do it for some reason. So, I asked, ¡°Can it be fixed?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± His voice was deep and hoarse, with a hint of cigarette scent.


    ¡°How much will it be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You decide.¡±


    I could not help but look at him with surprise, This guy¡¯s got some attitude. After making a quick estimation, I replied, ¡°Would three hundred do?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± he lowered his head and went to get the tools promptly.


    Yet, I became stunned.


    Why do I feel a sense of familiarity the more I look at him?


    No way. This is my first time here, and I¡¯ve never been acquainted with any repairman. As such, I slowly strolled over to the other side of the car. He did not seem to notice this and kept his head down, working.


    I came within one meter of him and covertly looked at him from the front.


    Right then, he looked up all of a sudden.


    I became dumbfounded and felt as though my heart had received a punch.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Since you came alone, would you mind if we had dinner together?¡±


    ¡°These stupid books, nonsensical romance. Utter trash!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend, she¡¯s my sister.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    His tough yet delicate appearance seemed to be carved from the same mold as the man in my dream; there was also that jet black hair and his tall stature.


    But, how can this be him?


    My thoughts were a mess.


    Yet, with a calm gaze, he took a look at me and continued working with his head down as though he saw a total stranger.


    All of a sudden, I felt enlightened. My logical mind returned to function after the shock. No, this is impossible. One was a graduate from a famous school with a bright future, destined to enter the upper echelons of society. The other is just a lowly car repairman.


    Also, upon closer inspection, you would find that even though the two had similar facial features, there were still differences. That man was smooth-skinned and skinny at that time. How could he possess a body of muscles that had gone through hardship? The man in front of me even had stubbles on his chin. He had a slightly skinnier face with facial features that seemed rougher.


    One was like a perfectly round and smooth indoor pearl, while the other was an angular, wild, and black rock.


    It seemed impossible to me that a person¡¯s appearance and manner would have such a drastic transformation in a mere few weeks.


    My whole person felt relieved after thinking this through. Even though the man in front of me was a lowly repairman, he was much more attractive and wild compared to the smart a** I met on the ship.


    Right then, the man that first greeted me brought a chair over and ushered me to take a seat on the side. Then he started to introduce to me the car wash plan advertised outside. I agreed to sign up for it, and he said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll need your name and telephone number.¡±


    ¡°Tan Jiao. It''s the Tan with the radical Yan, while Jiao is the character for bright.¡± I also told him my telephone number.


    I am not sure if it was just me, but out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly saw an obvious pause from the man that was crouched there, working on the paint. I turned to look, but he was back to his work, focused with his head down.


    A thought came to mind, and I wondered, What did he call him just now? Brother Yu?


    My gaze fell upon a plaque on the wall that had the information about the workers.


    The third name there, ¡®Wu Yu¡¯, felt like it would be his name for some odd reason.


    Simple yet good for some reason.


    Come to think of it, I don¡¯t even know the name of that man I met on the ship.

 Chapter 10: Wu Yu 02 (1)

    ¡ª¡ªWu Yu¡ª¡ª


    The wind caused the city to rattle. At night, the skies here would be clear and starry, and the smell of the sea would blow in. My mind would quiet down with the symphony of the night¡ªthe sounds of the wind, the sight of the stars, and the smell of the sea.


    It was around the time when the evening lights were lit. I rolled out from underneath a car, covered in sweat because of the stuffiness, with oily stains on my palms. I would have never imagined myself doing this in the past. But now, I think it is good. After a day of work, I could enjoy venting through the ache and heat from my muscles.


    I got up and grabbed a bottle of water to drink. Xiaohua gave my arm muscles a few bumps with his fist and said, ¡°Brother Yu, you¡¯re a man among men, a fighter jet among men! I¡¯m really curious about what you did before this? You¡¯re so smart, able to fix any machine or car after giving the manual a read. You¡¯re just like a computer!¡±


    I chuckled and answered, ¡°That¡¯s because they all have the same principles.¡±


    Xiaohua and several other repairmen showed helpless smiles. One of them asked, ¡°Brother Yu, let me guess, were you a policeman or a soldier? Is that why you¡¯re so manly and capable?¡±


    ¡°No, I think he¡¯s a professional race car driver,¡± Xiaohua said with the desire to stir up trouble. ¡°How else can he be so good with cars? These cars are like brother Yu¡¯s women, allowing him to bend them over freely.¡±


    All the men let out wicked smiles, mocking the fact that I had no woman to call my own. I laughed out too and pulled out a cigarette from my T-shirt. Xiaohua helped me light it up.


    When there was no work, I would sit in the shop and smoke. When the nicotine infiltrated my lungs from my nose, it brought me excitement with a hint of dryness. It allowed me to be a little self-indulgent and sober.


    I never smoked in the past. Yet, Xiaohua now thinks that I am a longtime smoker. In fact, I would finish a pack of Yuxi in a day.


    Leaning against the wall, I looked at the distant stars through the cracks in the ceiling with squinted eyes. It is said that people will become stars after they die, looking down at the people that loved them. There were so many stars in Dali¡¯s night sky, but I had no idea which one was mine.


    Xiaohua nudged me with his elbow and whistled.


    That was how I saw her again.


    A bright orange Mini SUV came in with a young and slender woman in the driver''s seat.


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty cute,¡± Xiaohua muttered. The other repairmen also looked at her.


    I too looked over with a fixed gaze.


    She had a head of long, thick, and jet black hair; it seemed like she never carefully took care of it and always had a lazy look. For example, she currently only used a rubber band to loosely tie up her hair. She was exactly like the last time I met her. Her face was delicate, and her eyes were particularly black and moving. Her temperament was far more sophisticated. After closing the car door, she raised her hand and inserted it into her pants pocket. She was like a young girl and a mature woman at the same time.


    I noticed her arms, but I had noticed them last time. She wore a simple but unique T-shirt, light gray with a winding, difficult-to-understand image printed on it. Wrinkled sleeves draped over her thin arms. Pale skin and a fit body, she looked pure and sexy at the same time.


    I never expected Xiaohua to ask me to go fix her car. After calling for me, Xiaohua winked at me; it was definitely on purpose. At that moment, I felt like someone had poked me in the chest with a stick. I finished smoking my cigarette, threw it into the bin, and stood up.


    She did not recognize me.


    Holding a mobile phone, she stood by the car. After taking a glance at me, she quickly lowered her head. She wore a somewhat reserved and slightly distracted expression. Her gaze seemed cold, yet her cheeks had a trace of red.


    It was the same expression she had when we first met.


    My long lost feelings of happiness suddenly surged from my heart. However, I did not want her to recognize me anymore. I leaned over and bent down to check her car.


    She finally noticed something and decided to take action while making no effort to hide it. I listened to her distinct footsteps, circling around me slowly and carefully observing me. At last, she came right in front of me and looked at my face with her head turned slightly.


    I looked up at her.


    At that moment, her face became filled with a blend of expressions¡ªastonishment, skepticism, and perplexity.


    Good. She remembers me. The slightest feeling of tenderness surged from my heart because of this recognition. But, I knew she was a smart lady, straightforward with little sophistication. Since I did not want her to recognize me, I put on a calm and impassive face and continued to repair the car.

 Chapter 11: Wu Yu 02 (2)

    Her apparent hesitation lasted for some time. Eventually, I heard her slowly let out a sigh of relief before going over with Xiaohua to discuss signing up for a membership.


    I knew that she did not recognize me.


    It was just like a chanced encounter. She came here to fix her car today; she may even come here to get her car washed from today onward. But she and I would not have any further interactions.


    I lowered my head and concentrated on fixing the paint. It had already been quite some time and doing these tedious, hard, and simple things helped my heart feel at peace. Perhaps the shop was too quiet today, as the other repairmen would more or less pay some attention to her. Speaking with Xiaohua, her tender voice seemed especially clear in the shop; it was pleasant to the ear. Like a piece of silk, shining slightly and floating behind me.


    She said, ¡°Tan Jiao. It''s the Tan with the radical Yan, while Jiao is the character for bright.¡±


    I became diverted for a split second, only to notice her gaze on me once more as though she had caught onto something. I turned away with an impassive face and continued with my work.


    At last, she stopped looking toward me.


    The job on her car was small, so I finished it soon. Looking up, I saw her standing at the counter, settling the payment. I passed by her without giving her any attention and sat with the other repairmen. One of the repairmen passed me a cigarette, so I continued to slowly smoke it. I placed my oil-stained hands¡ªcovered in wounds old and new¡ªopenly onto my pants. I stared at my hands quietly and felt as though her gaze would vaguely aim toward me.


    After some time, Xiaohua came running over with a strange smile on his face. He tapped me on the shoulder and said, ¡°Brother Yu, let¡¯s talk about something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He glanced over to where Tan Jiao stood. She had her head down, busy with her phone with an indifferent look on her face. She was always like that. Xiaohua said with a grin, ¡°Miss Tan said that she¡¯s willing to sign up for a three hundred Yuan car wash plan. That¡¯s enough to make my sales target for this month! But, she has one condition. She wants you, brother Yu, to wash her car every time she comes.¡±


    The guys beside me became dumbfounded and laughed, almost becoming a rowdy crowd. I never expected her to make such a request, so I looked up in her direction. She must have noticed the movement from the guys and their gazes on her. Of course, some of them looked at me with envious eyes.


    However, she remained calm as though she had heard nothing. If I did not look carefully, I would have missed the faint red glow on her cheeks.


    What is she trying to do? A test? A challenge? Or perhaps she¡¯s shaming me or taking pity on me? I felt a burning sensation rolling in my chest, which quickly cooled down. I said, ¡°Sure, it¡¯s fine by me.¡± I knew she would hear what I said since the shop was not big.


    Then I got up, dragged the hose over, and started washing her car. The other repairmen settled down after they made a ruckus. I washed her car at the entrance of the shop where it was bright, while she waited in the shop without coming out.


    Her car was very new. It was a typical car that a young, rich girl would buy. The car seemed clean and tidy enough. There were some unopened books on the back seat, all written by ¡®Qi Zhu¡¯. There was also a box of pens. The seat cushion in the driver¡¯s seat, which had several strands of her hair, was a little wrinkled. The other cushions were very new; evidently, very few people sat in them. I guess she¡¯s still single, keeping to herself, without anyone accompanying her.


    I washed the car carefully, leaving it spotless. After completing the job, I threw the hose aside. I wanted to take off my half-wet tank top, but since she was here, I did not.


    Right then, she put down the phone that she had been playing with for some time and walked out of the shop. She looked at me, but her gaze somewhat avoided direct contact, not wanting to look at me. I had no idea what she was trying to avoid. She said, ¡°Thank you, Mister Yu.¡±


    I stared at her curiously, ¡°Why pick me specifically to wash your car?¡±


    ¡°Oh, because mister Hua told me you¡¯re the most skilled,¡± she replied.


    I tossed the keys over, and she frantically caught it. ¡°Well¡­ goodbye then.¡±


    Saying nothing, I turned and headed inside the shop.


    When I heard the sounds of an engine igniting, I took off my sweaty tank top and threw it aside. Grabbing the hose, I aimed the water directly toward my head.


    I was already used to this kind of menial lifestyle.


    As water streamed down, I subconsciously turned to look back. I saw her take a turn; she was about to drive off from the open space in front of the shop, but her gaze fell upon me from a distance. Through the random drops of water, I saw her clear and calm-looking eyes.


    That was how a woman would look at a man.


    She drove off, and the water flowed down from my head, instantly cooling me off. I threw the hose to the ground before grabbing a half-wet cigarette from my pocket and placing it in my mouth.


    In the end, she didn¡¯t recognize me.


    She took me for another man and has even appointed me to wash her car.

 Chapter 12: Tan Jiao 03 (1)

    ¡ª¡ªTan Jiao¡ª¡ª


    I never thought I would meet Wu Yu again so soon. Is fate like silk threads? Once they become entangled, they will always be entangled.


    A cool breeze blew in the afternoon; clouds covered the sun while leaving the blue sky clear. The blue background appeared like a boundless existence quietly overlooking everything.


    I went to the library in the Shixi district to borrow books. As an author, I naturally read plenty of books. I stayed in the library for a great deal of time; in fact, I was there more frequently than during my school days. I was a mediocre student back then and never thought that I would fall in love with reading again because of my hobbies and dreams.


    I came down the steps of the library with ten books in my arms. At the side were several basketball courts and a mini football field; in fact, this was a public sports center in this neighborhood. A few topless men were playing football. I walked past the court without paying any attention to it. Right then, a man ran past me with a ball in his hand and yelled out, "Ah? You¡¯re¡­ Miss¡­ Miss Tan!¡±


    I felt a sense of familiarity, so I turned to look. Isn¡¯t that Xiaohua, the guy from the auto-repair shop yesterday who persuaded me to sign up for a carwash plan? My heart fluttered momentarily for no reason as I looked past Xiaohua to see Wu Yu standing there, looking toward me. He was not far away with his arms akimbo, drenched in sweat.


    His figure seemed a little blurry under the sun, but his abs were evidently exposed.


    I had only one word to describe my senses¡ªadmiration.


    Even if a man like him is just a repairman, won¡¯t many women throw themselves into his arms and sleep with him? This fleeting, evil thought sprung into my mind. In my experience, most handsome men that seemed classy were actually good at flirting with women. Is he like that too?


    I purposefully restrained myself and greeted Xiaohua, ¡°You guys came to play football?¡±


    Xiaohua replied, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re having our day off. Brother Yu brought us here; he likes sports and even found this place.¡± After saying that, he turned to Wu Yu and waved. ¡°Brother Yu! Brother Yu!¡±


    Wu Yu stood there without moving and did not seem interested in greeting me. Xiao Hua shrugged and smiled at me. ¡°Later!¡± I nodded and went on my way.


    I am not sure if it was a coincidence or if someone did it on purpose, but as I was about to walk away from the football court, I suddenly felt something behind me. Then, I heard the shouts from Wu Yu and the other guys.


    ¡°Tan Jiao!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Be careful!¡±


    I turned my head and saw a ball flying toward me. Even though it seemed quick, I did not think the force was too much for me to handle. Initially, I had the chance to dodge the ball. After all, I played football with my friends several times when I was a child. I am not sure what I was thinking, but I took a step back and subconsciously tried to stop the ball with my leg.


    I forgot I was wearing high heels and a skirt; I also underestimated the weight of the books in my hand. Moreover, the ball that did not seem that fast still hurt a lot when it hit my leg; that guy must have kicked the ball quite forcefully. I gasped and fell to the ground while the books scattered on the ground. Crucially, the ball that I failed to stop hit the steps behind me and bounced back at me, hitting my head precisely with a thud. I was unable to hold back, letting out an ¡°Ouch!¡± and holding onto my head.


    The guys ran over and laughed heartlessly. I ended up in a sorry state, but I also felt it was a funny situation. I felt the pain in my knee and saw blood when I looked down. I tried to stand up on my feet, but a hand appeared in front of me.


    The rough and long-fingered hand of a repairman.


    I looked up and saw Wu Yu¡¯s calm eyes below his sweat-drenched short hair.

 Chapter 13: Tan Jiao 03 (2)

    I took his hand, which was warm to the touch and firm, before standing up. Unexpectedly, he apologized to me. Figuring he had kicked the ball that struck me, I side-eyed him. ¡°You¡¯re the one that kicked the ball?¡±


    To my surprise, he chuckled and said, ¡°Have a seat.¡± Then he turned to Xiaohua and the others. ¡°You guys continue without me, I¡¯ll check on her.¡± Even though his tone was calm, Xiaohua and the others were still taken aback momentarily before laughing out loud.


    Wu Yu ignored them and looked very calm. Compared to him, my face became slightly flushed.


    The others finally went away, leaving him and I alone. He stood beside me while I sat down on the steps beside the courts. My knee-length skirt pulled up even more when I sat down, revealing to him the wounds there; bruises and a couple of bloody cuts that felt slightly painful.


    There was a brief silence between us.


    I questioned, ¡°Why did you kick the ball toward me?¡±


    He looked me in the eye and said slowly, ¡°Who said I did it on purpose?¡±


    I became lost for words after hearing that. My heart skipped a beat as a thought sprung into my mind, Damn it, this guy knows how to tease women!


    Of course, this could merely be my imagination running wild. I let out a humph and asked, ¡°You caused this, so how are you going to fix it?¡±


    He replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I would leave you like this. Wait here.¡± He turned and seemed as though he was leaving, so I asked curiously, ¡°Where are you going? Why are you leaving me here to roast in the sun? I have to get going.¡±


    On the steps at the side were some of their clothing. From underneath a dark-grey T-shirt, Wu Yu took out a black hat. While there was fluff on the brim, the hat looked soft and clean. Then as we stared at each other, a subtle, strange, and mysterious feeling surged in my heart.


    He placed the cap on my head, shielding my eyes from the sun. The hand from this unfamiliar man pressed on my head briefly. I felt the strength from his hand through the fabric.


    ¡°Wear this,¡± he said before leaving.


    I did not expect this from him. This was my first time wearing a stranger¡¯s hat. While it was a little bit big, it still fit me well. A thought sprung into my mind again, is he genuinely good at teasing women? Or is he just different from other guys?


    Suddenly, my scalp became extremely sensitive, and I felt numbness along where my skin touched the brim of the hat. It felt as though it was not a hat on my head, but more like someone¡¯s hand pressing gently on me.


    I did not take the hat off. I did not want to. For some reason, I just did not want to.


    After about ten minutes, Wu Yu came back with a plastic bag in his hand. Inside was a bottle of water and some medication. To my surprise, he had gone to a nearby pharmacy. He¡¯s attentive and patient.


    Suddenly, I felt uncomfortable and turned my head to the side when I caught him glancing at me again. I hesitated when I saw an opened bottle of water appear before me. After a brief moment, I took it and drank from it, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Then he said in his deep, husky voice, ¡°Wash the dirt from your leg.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Feeling a little embarrassed, I put out my leg like he said and washed the dirt away. He stood in front of me and maintained his gaze, which suddenly made me feel as though the sun had become more dazzling, even with the hat shielding my eyes.


    Soon after, Wu Yu sat beside me with only space for half a person between us. Even when sitting, he was still taller than me. He placed the bag with medical supplies on the steps then took a cotton swab out, which he dipped in iodine before handing to me. I took it naturally and applied it to the wound, letting out a hiss after feeling the slight sting.


    He watched and kept silent. Even though I felt his gaze on my lower leg, I did not turn to look.


    ------


    If you would like to read ahead and support me in the process, here is a Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/Blender_GamingThere are no obligations, but every bit of support helps, especially to help pay for editors and my bills.

 Chapter 14: Tan Jiao 03 (3)

    After passing me a small piece of gauze that I pressed on the wound, he tore me a piece of tape that I pasted on.


    ¡°It¡¯s crooked,¡± he finally said something.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just give me another strip.¡± I reached my hand toward him.


    It was strange. Even though we had only met twice, even though he was the type of guy I would never become close to. I was even questioning whether he had kicked the ball at me. Yet, the two of us could sit here calmly doing these things without feeling awkward. It was as if we were old friends.


    Instead of passing me a strip of tape, he got up and came in front of me. I looked up at him and saw his focused gaze. With a gentle touch, he carefully pasted the tape he held on my leg.


    I did not move.


    His face had no expression, and only his rough finger gently grazed my skin, causing a slight tickle and warmth.


    I too put on a poker face.


    As though it was not my leg that he was putting a strip of tape on, and it was not me who he was helping.


    After he placed the tape, I felt his fingers gently straightening the sides of the gauze before he stood up and asked, "Will that do?"


    I held my leg with both hands and looked at the ground. "Oh¡­ sure."


    "I''ll head back to play football then."


    "Oh, thank you."


    Yet after saying that, I did not see him move as he remained standing there. I looked up and saw his eyes. Suddenly, I realized that behind his brazen, muscular body, inside those black pupils of his, there seemed to be another world hiding.


    "Oh, your hat." I took the hat off and handed it to him. After taking it, he wore it and went back to the football field.


    I had a dinner appointment with Zhuang Yu, so I left the library for the restaurant. As I drove there, I could not help it when my mind became filled with thoughts about Wu Yu¡ªthe way he looked, the first time I met him at that auto-repair shop that night, his fingers that touched my car, the way he chuckled when that ball rebounded and hit my head, and when he pressed the tape onto my skin while kneeling before me.


    Suddenly, I noticed that my breath felt short. What''s his intention? Is he teasing me? Or else¡­why else would he be so gentle with the only lady at that auto-repair shop?


    I raised my head to see the floating clouds and the buildings passing by me. I must admit that this was my second time having such feelings for a man.


    These feelings were like the gentle wavering leaves blowing in the wind. I have never had these feelings for anyone, except that time on the ship¡ªmy first time.


    Could it be because they look similar?


    No, it can''t be.


    I admit I did shamelessly and specifically ask for him to wash my car for this reason. But of course, I will have my evil thoughts from time to time. He looks so much like that man on that ship as if he''s his version 2.0. That man on the ship was not only arrogant, but he even trampled on my book. Of course, I''ll be pleased with the fact that I can get him to wash my car every time.


    However, with only these two brief encounters, I can feel that Wu Yu and that man are like night and day. That man on the ship, even though he was annoying, was glowing and clear-cut. Wu Yu, on the other hand, is like a man that has gone through hardship. Even though our encounters were brief, I can feel a sense of mystery and vastness from him.


    Immediately after entering the restaurant, I saw Zhuang Yu and Xiaohao staring down at each other. For some reason, they were having another tiff. I rushed over at the perfect time, sitting right across from the two of them. ¡°Xiaohao, did you anger your mom again?¡±


    Xiaohao quivered and cried, ¡°Mom! Can you order french fries for me? I don¡¯t want to eat fried onion rings!¡±


    This was a family-friendly restaurant, so several parents turned their gaze onto us.


    However, Zhuang Yu was not the shy type. With her hand squeezing Xiaohao¡¯s chin, Zhuang Yu said, ¡°Zip it, you! Call me your aunt, your aunt! If you call me your mother again, I will leave you here!¡±


    Xiaohao giggled with a brazen look along with me. Then the two of us high fived. Zhuang Yu looked up helplessly and grumbled, ¡°Geez, can you two stop being so childish!¡±

 Chapter 15: Tan Jiao 03 (4)

    That was my best friend, Zhuang Yu.


    From afar, she looked exceedingly beautiful and elegant. Even though she had placed her hair into a casual ponytail, wearing a black T-shirt and leggings while having no make-up on, her beautiful appearance was still unconcealable. If she had permitted her pictures to be posted online, she would definitely top the charts for the most beautiful author.


    It was just that¡­ her growth seemed a little quick for a 19-year-old, so she had a mature woman¡¯s charm. Using her own words, ¡°F*ck me and my nubile appearance.¡± In fact, no one would suspect a thing if I said she was a beautiful and young married woman. That was why she and her nephew, Xiaohao, would always get the parent-child discounts at restaurants without fail, without presenting any identification at all.


    This was one of Zhuang Yu¡¯s pains. She was okay with her mature look, just not her overly feminine appearance; she had long, shapely eyebrows, a small, pointy nose, cherry lips, a 34C bust, and a 21-inch waist. Even with a 10 Yuan shirt on, she would still look like an alluring, young sugar baby. Obviously, this did not fit her gaming all-day, beer-drinking, sci-fi author personality. To quote her again, ¡°F*ck! One of these days I¡¯ll shave my head to prove my true self!¡±


    When the dishes arrived, all of us started eating. Xiaohao was especially focused with his head lowered. Zhuang Yu and I started chatting, with her asking, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you dreamt about the man on the ship? What happened next?¡±


    ¡°Why would there be a continuation to a dream? But something strange did happen. I met a guy that looked exactly like the man in my dreams.¡± I proceeded to tell her about my encounter with Wu Yu at the auto repair shop.


    Abruptly, Zhuang Yu had a very serious expression.


    My heart sank, and I asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    With a thoughtful look on her face, Zhuang Yu placed down her chopsticks and said leisurely, ¡°Perhaps one of them came from a parallel universe.¡±


    As I became dumbfounded, she had already let out a giggle and said, ¡°But how could that happen! If that person really came from a parallel universe, why would he become a hardworking man with a poor background or a repairman? He would have gotten involved in the energy or the bio-chem sector to steal corporate information. Why would he bother with us?¡±


    ¡°Yeesh!¡± I knew this is just her sci-fi bullsh*t. They are two completely different people."


    Zhuang Yu said, "You''re not really into that repairman, are you? Damn, you have an extreme taste for men." Wu Yu''s image briefly flashed into my mind as I said casually, "How is it extreme if I''m interested in a young and muscular repairman? It would be really extreme if I became interested in the boss of the repair shop."


    Subdued by my strong and logical argument, Zhuang Yu nodded and said, "True that! You''re still as mature as always."


    I smiled gently and nodded.


    Right then, Xiaohao exclaimed with excitement before putting down his chopsticks and rushing toward the window. Several children from the other tables also ran over. Zhuang Yu and I turned our gazes toward the source of the sound and found a flock of black-colored birds that had gathered before a piece of land in front of the restaurant. The flock was huge, a dense mass of black. Perhaps there were hundreds of them.


    The birds were black from head to tail and were roughly the size of pigeons, with yellowish-brown eyes and long, straight tails. They were spread all over but had their gazes fixed upon the restaurant. One of the workers tried to chase them away, but they would come back after circling in the air a few times. The workers stopped caring when they saw that the birds were not harming the customers and even attracted the attention of passers-by.


    "What are those strange birds?" Zhuang Yu asked. "Pigeons?"


    "Have you ever seen pigeons like that?"


    Naturally, the two of us were unworried and continued with our meal. After some time, I raised my head again and looked toward the window again. Coincidentally, one of the birds met my gaze, and we stared at each other.


    Zhuang Yu asked, "Are you okay?"


    "It''s nothing," I said as I suppressed the strange feeling that I had. "I feel like I''ve seen these birds somewhere before, but I just can''t recall where."


    Suddenly, I felt as though I had forgotten something, but whenever I tried, I would only draw a blank.


    The birds did not stay for long that day. After Zhuang Yu, Xiaohao, and I finished eating, I sent the two of them home and drove back myself. Everything that day was peaceful and joyous: Wu Yu, the news, the sunset, our time at the restaurant, Zhuang Yu, Xiaohao.


    That was until I got back home.


    After that night, my previously peaceful life was turned upside down.


    My life which I thought was just a peaceful flowing river.

 Chapter 16: Wu Yu 03 (1)

    After playing football, I returned to the shop since my colleges were all locals and had homes here. I was the only one staying in the shop.


    It was already dark. My body stank with the smell of sweat, but I felt lazy, so I just laid on my narrow bed. I laid there looking at the ceiling while the image of Tan Jiao appeared in my mind: with her head down, wearing my hat, and mute.


    I never knew that prickly woman from the ship would act like that. Suddenly, I felt like letting out a smile.


    Right then, Xiaohua entered the small compartment after parting the door curtains. He grinned mischievously when he saw the smile on my face. ¡°Brother Yu, you¡¯re thinking about a woman, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    This witty little punk.


    I lit up a cigarette without answering him, and he sat beside the bed and said, ¡°Why do I think there¡¯s something between you and that Miss Tan?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there between us?¡±


    After giving it a brief thought, he replied, ¡°I can¡¯t put my finger on it. I just feel something is going on when you two are together.¡±


    I cursed at him, ¡°F*ck off.¡±


    Yet, he decided to double down. ¡°Hehe, care to explain why she picked you specifically to wash her car?¡±


    I took a slow draw from my cigarette, feeling the slight sting and bitter taste. ¡°So what? You think I¡¯ll back off from a challenge?¡±


    ¡°Hoho, you¡¯re the best! I think it¡¯s highly likely that you¡¯ll have that Miss Tan eating out the palm of your hand.¡±


    I stopped joking around with him and instead turned my attention to something outside the window.


    The street lights came on, lighting up an area with a flock of black birds that had arrived at some point in time. There were around ten of them, and a few of them were looking at me through the window with their yellowish-brown eyes that sparkled faintly.


    I looked back at them.


    Xiaohua asked, ¡°Brother Yu, what¡¯s up? What are you looking at?¡±


    I had seen these birds before.


    Only once, when I was on that ship.


    I ran out of the shop and heard the sounds of wings fluttering; they were flying away.


    There was a matter I had never told anyone about. Ever since my trip on that ship, I had felt a seemingly blurry hole in my memory that I could not recall. From time to time, I would think back and become perplexed and frustrated.


    Yet these birds, seemingly still with the scent of river water, were flapping their wings to go through that hole.


    An indescribably strong intuition drove me to chase the few slower birds.


    It happened after I chased the birds for half a block.


    It was already quite late when I ran through the busy streets, travelling through the winding roads to finally arrive at a street beside a river. The sky had more and more of those birds of unknown origin. There were hundreds of them circling in the sky with the bright moon behind them; it was as though they were a mass of darkness plotting something.


    I was drenched in sweat after that run and stopped beside a short wall to catch my breath. All of a sudden, as if those birds had finished gathering, one of them let out a clear call before they all dispersed into the night.


    Damn it, I cursed inwardly.


    Right as I wanted to chase after the bird that seemed to be the leader, a figure appeared from the other side of the wall. I instantly broke out in a cold sweat, feeling chills all over my pores. There was no way to dodge them.


    The person slammed right into my chest and let out a gasp of surprise. I grabbed her arms and subdued her. She tried to break free, but I picked her up and placed her against the wall, cornering and subduing her.


    Her body was trembling ever so slightly.


    I became dumbfounded when I saw her face under the faint glow shining upon us from a street light.

 Chapter 17: Wu Yu 03 (2)

    She raised her head and stared at me blankly with her messy, wet, shampoo-fragrant-filled hair resting on her shoulder. She had on a set of home-wear while wearing a pair of slippers without socks. Not far behind her was her car, blinkers still on; evidently, she had come out from her home in a rush.


    After recognizing me, the look in her eyes became strange: filled with caution, shock, and even a sliver of fear. Her face seemed deathly pale under the faint glow shining down on us.


    Unlike her cute self when we were together during the day, she seemed like a completely different person now.


    What happened to her during this short period of time?


    Why did she come here alone at this hour?


    I had many questions I wanted to ask. Yet, before I could speak, Tan Jiao asked in a slightly quivering voice, ¡°Why¡­ Why are you here?¡±


    I looked down and fixed my gaze at her. ¡°What about you? Why are you here?¡±


    She looked me in the eye at close range before biting her lip briefly and said, ¡°I have an appointment with someone.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Does it concern you?¡±


    Again, her chilling, thorny, slightly stubborn attitude brought me to my senses. I raised my head and found that those birds had long disappeared. I let out a chuckle and said, ¡°Indeed, it doesn¡¯t concern me.¡±


    She seemed to relax a little after hearing my answer and said, ¡°Since this has nothing to do with you, please leave. I still have something to do.¡±


    I did not move. Instead, I maintained both my hands pressed against the wall, trapping her in between. I asked her once more, ¡°Who are you seeing?¡±


    Anger and shock surfaced briefly in her eyes, but she did not seem like she would act upon her anger. For some reason, the way she looked made my heart somewhat soft.


    She said with repressed anger in her voice, ¡°You have also not told me why you¡¯re here at this hour!¡±


    I fell silent for a moment, looking at her innocent eyes while pondering whether to tell her my motive. That almost ridiculous reason of mine, running here: just because a flock of waterbirds had appeared in the wrong place.


    But she was also on that ship.


    Just that she¡¯s unable to recognize who I am.


    ¡°Tan Jiao, I¡­¡± I looked down and said with my jaw almost touching the tip of her nose; it was probably because we were too close. She turned her head away slightly when she noticed this, but our bodies were still close. On this remote riverside road in the middle of the night, we stood close while looking at each other¡¯s eyes, about to share our secrets.


    However, the appearance of someone unexpected interrupted us.


    Tan Jiao and I raised our heads simultaneously when we heard the sounds of hurried footsteps and became stunned when we saw that person.


    There were no houses or buildings in this area, as the nearest residential area was hundreds of meters away. There was a silent construction site around, while the streets only had a few street lights and were sparse with trees.


    That person came from the residential area.


    A strange and dirty man that was carrying a child on his shoulder.


    The man had long and messy hair that looked like tangled seaweed, while his face was too dirty to see clearly. However, his eyes seemed luminous while containing a hint of excitement. He wore a wrinkled coat that was too dirty to see the color of, and he wore a pair of sports shoes with holes in them. It seemed obvious to us that he was a hobo with an unsound mind.


    The child seemed to be around five or six-year-old and was sleeping in a set of clean pajamas, barefooted.


    As the man ran past us from across the street, he saw us.


    He grinned, revealing his yellowish-black teeth. The smile seemed uncomfortable, as he seemed happy and in pain at the same time. He ran light-footed as though his feet were not touching the ground. In mere seconds, he had already run into the darkness.


    Tan Jiao grabbed my arm and asked, ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    I heard a faint cry in the distance from the direction of the residential area.


    ¡°Stay here.¡± I shoved her hand aside and chased after the man.

 Chapter 18: Wu Yu 03 (3)

    It was pitch black ahead, and I could only see the shadow of the man turning into an alley. Using all of my strength, I sprinted into the alley and yelled, ¡°Stop!¡± However, the man turned a deaf ear and ran even faster with the child on his shoulder. He did not care at all if the child would become unwell from all the shaking. That was when I became more convinced that the man was up to no good.


    This alley surrounded by old abandoned houses was narrow and littered with trash, which hindered my pursuit. Just as we were around ten meters apart, the child suddenly woke up and let out a shrill cry, giving the man a shock. I took the opportunity to grab a rotten bench from the ground and threw it at his back. He stumbled after getting hit, allowing me to grab his nape after leaping forward.


    Right then, I heard from behind me the delicate sound of someone gasping for air and soft footsteps. It¡¯s her, she came after us.


    The man was surprisingly able. I reached out to grab the child but was greeted with a punch headed for my face and a crooked grin that gave me chills. I was unable to dodge the punch as I already had my hands on the child, so pain promptly filled my face.


    Tan Jiao behind me yelled out in shock, ¡°Wu Yu!¡± Surprisingly, her voice warmed my heart at that moment.


    I felt a hot stream of blood coming out from my nose, but I could not care less. Immediately, I handed the child over to Tan Jiao and said, ¡°Hold the child!¡± I wanted to subdue this madman without having to worry about the child.


    Yet, the madman was quick to react. After letting out a short chuckle, he slipped by me and grabbed a hold of Tan Jiao¡¯s long hair. The four of us were close to each other, and everything happened so quickly that I could not do anything. Tan Jiao, with a pained expression, shrieked miserably before letting go of the child. I felt a tightness in my chest and wanted to help Tan Jiao, but I caught a glimpse of the child falling headfirst to the ground!


    I sprung forward and caught the child. I slowed his fall to the ground, where he burst out into tears while clinging tightly to my shirt. When I turned around again to look for Tan Jiao, I found the madman pulling her by the hair without care, dragging her on the ground into the dark depths of the alley. She called my name in a sobbing and desperate voice while kicking frantically on the ground.


    As though a knife was stabbing my heart, I placed the child down and ran toward her. I landed a heavy punch on the madman¡¯s abdomen, causing him to let go because of the pain. In return, he swung a heavy blow at me. I grabbed him by the shoulder, intending to subdue him. But he was exceptionally flexible, able to bend his body into an impossible angle. He broke free from me before disappearing into the darkness in no time.


    I chased after him for only a second before stopping and returning to the dark alley where the child was all curled up crying. Tan Jiao had sat up after some struggle and was holding her head in both hands while letting out shuddering sobs. Suddenly, I felt annoyed and perplexed by all the crying.


    What a strange night. What the hell just happened?


    I came before her and placed my hand on her shoulder. All of a sudden, she threw herself into my arms and hugged me tightly.


    I was slightly stunned.


    Police sirens and shouts echoed through the air not far from here. I was completely drained after going through a whole night of running and that tussle just now, so I had no choice but to sit down and lay against the wall when she hugged me tightly. She even sat on my thighs, making me totally immobile.


    When my breathing finally returned to normal, her crying had also stopped. With her head down, she pushed off me and wanted to get up. Instinctively, my arm tensed up, not willing to let her go.


    ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± I asked softly.


    She hung her head and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I lifted my hand and wanted to part her hair. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Then, out of nowhere, like a cat that had its tail stepped on, she grabbed my hand abruptly while raising her watery eyes to stare at me, yelling, ¡°No! No looking! No touching!¡±


    At this tiring, tense, and chaotic night¡­ our puzzling destiny was like a foggy night. Yet, with her in my arms and her watery eyes staring at me while simmering with resentment, I somehow developed the urge to laugh out.

 Chapter 19: Tan Jiao 04 (1)

    I felt sulky and afraid when I heard Wu Yu ask me why I had come here.


    I stared him in the eye, trying to find hints of dishonesty or evil intent. Yet, there was none. His eyes looked clear and bright, showing a deep black color that seemed visible even at night.


    That was when I knew that it was not him.


    He was not the person that lured me here.


    The events started at night when I got home. Everything at home was normal, and nothing was moved from my furniture, household items, the windows to the doors. Even my slippers that I had tossed to the side were where I had left them.


    Feeling stuffed after having dinner with Zhuang Yu, I leaned back on the sofa with my filled stomach to watch some TV. When I noticed the box of tissue on the table was finished, I opened the drawer of the coffee table, looking for another box.


    Upon opening the drawer, I noticed an eye-catching red envelope lying in there. I neither had any idea what it was nor did I have any recollection of such a letter, so I opened it.


    Inside the envelope was a piece of white paper with several rows of words.


    ¡°If you want to find out what you¡¯ve lost,


    At 10 pm on July 17, the intersection between Baiyun road and Hebin West Road.


    Come find me, Tan Jiao.¡±


    I froze as a layer of cold sweat developed as though ants were crawling on my back. Raising my head immediately, I scanned the house, but I only found a pitch-black kitchen, bedroom, and balcony.


    It is clear that no one was here, so when did this person intrude upon my home to leave this letter? What is their purpose?


    Wait a minute, if this person can do this, they could have easily harmed me. This person wants to see me. Things might be worse if I didn¡¯t do as they say. Furthermore, the police won¡¯t give a damn if it is just a letter.


    I took a look at the letter again and noticed the written characters were beautiful and powerful, wild yet elegant. This person must have done plenty of writing to achieve this level of control. Not only that, but judging from the characters, this person seems bold and unconstrained.


    I even noticed from the characters in the first two sentences that this person was in a hurry, as the characters were interlinked. However, when they arrived at the last sentence, their writing seemed to have slowed down, as the characters looked tidier. They even lingered slightly on the last stroke of the final word.


    What did this mean?


    This meant that when they wrote the last sentence, their mood was different from before; there was a change in their mood.


    ¡°Come find me, Tan Jiao.¡±


    A chilling thought suddenly sprung into my mind, Is this¡­ from a pervert?


    Should I go?


    They even said that If you want to find out what you¡¯ve lost.


    I brought along a pocket knife and even turned on the Lovey-dovey App on my phone, allowing Zhuang Yu to locate me in real-time and me to ask her for help with the push of a button.


    Yet, I never thought that Wu Yu would be the first person I met at the appointed place at that time. He was as shocked as I was, but he forced me against the wall and even interrogated me about who I had come to see.


    He¡¯s hiding something as well.


    Not long after, that man appeared. My heart skipped a beat the moment I saw him. Could it be him? This filthy-looking strange man? Why is he carrying a child?


    As I pondered these questions, Wu Yu had already sprung into action, chasing that man. Immediately, I understood that Wu Yu was trying to save the child. He told me to stay put, but the night fog was already enveloping the surrounding like darkness. I was not going to wait around like a silly woman. I needed to find out what was going on.


    I decided to chase after them, but I failed to anticipate the cruelty that the strange man was capable of. As such, my first encounter with a bad person ended with me falling to the ground as a mess.

 Chapter 20: Tan Jiao 04 (2)

    My head was hurting so much that it numbed me, and hot tears came flowing out from my eyes. I opened my eyes after some time to be greeted by a faint glow of light from above us. Then, I discovered that I had somehow ended up in Wu Yu¡¯s embrace.


    He leaned against the wall with his arms around my waist looking down at me, while I sat on his thighs.


    An involuntary shiver ran through my body abruptly as though someone was tickling my waist with a feather; his gaze at me was that feather. I pushed him away, intending to get up, yet he held onto me, immobilizing me, causing my heart to skip a beat.


    We exchanged a few words before he wanted to check on the wound on the top of my head. Since I had already come to my senses and was worried about how ugly the wound was, perhaps with hair loss and blood, I did not want to let him see it.


    As such, I resolutely refused to not allow him to see the top of my head.


    I looked up and was surprised to see him smiling. I asked, ¡°What are you smiling at?¡±


    He replied, ¡°Nothing. I just think that you¡¯re very cute.¡±


    I became speechless all of a sudden, him as well. There was very little space between us, and suddenly, I felt a slight tingle on my chin; it was the gentle touch from his finger.


    I felt I must have lost my mind; going out late at night, rushing toward danger, and even sitting on the lap of a repairman I had only known for three days.


    I looked him in the eye; it was as though I saw an ocean of black water behind them. While his finger lingered on my face, I felt as if he was going to force a kiss on me for a moment. Yet, he only helped me up and said softly, ¡°To avoid trouble later with the police, we should tell them that we were in the area on a date.¡±


    I replied, ¡°Sure.¡±


    When he brought it up, I finally realized that the sounds of sirens were already very close. Soon, a police car appeared at the end of the alley and several policemen came running out.


    The child, who was probably scared silly and tired after crying, fell asleep in my embrace when I picked him up off the ground. Wu Yu stood beside me and placed his hand on my shoulder as we looked at the policemen coming toward us.


    As several policemen approached us, I suddenly caught a glimpse of the second policeman; he was tall and thin, with delicate facial features under the police cap. My heart abruptly skipped a beat as I thought, it can¡¯t be this coincidental, right?


    That policeman also became shocked when he recognized me.


    We stared at each other briefly before I moved my gaze away. Yet, I could still feel his lingering blank gaze on me.


    He was just like before, a dull person.


    Suddenly, Wu Yu turned to me and glanced at me with a complicated, indecipherable look; then he turned his gaze toward Shen Shiyan. With that, Shen Shiyan suddenly noticed his awkward gaze and quickly moved it away from me.


    The policeman in the front took the child immediately before giving the two of us a good look. ¡°Who are you two?¡±


    I answered, ¡°Passers-by.¡±


    Wu Yu recounted, ¡°The two of us passed by the corner ahead when we saw a man carrying this child. At that time, we thought the man seemed odd and figured the child probably wasn¡¯t his. That¡¯s why we gave chase.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s that man?¡± Shen Shiyan asked.


    Wu Yu answered, ¡°He ran away.¡±


    The policeman in charge then asked, ¡°What are you guys doing at such a remote place in the middle of the night?¡±


    I took a glance at Shen Shiyan and noticed his clear yet perplexed eyes looking at me.


    Wu Yu paused briefly before saying, ¡°We are on a date.¡± While the other two policemen showed looks of enlightenment, Shen Shiyan looked somewhere else.


    I could understand the awkwardness he must have felt.


    After all, he and I had been on dates before. I actually felt quite ashamed by the fact that Wu Yu and I, who were supposedly on a ¡®secret date¡¯, bumped into detective Shen Shiyan.


    The police in charge ordered, ¡°Xiaoshen, record their statements then bring them back to the station to help with the investigation.¡±


    Shen Shiyan replied, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    After that, Wu Yu and I were separated. I remained where I stood, while Wu Yu was brought to the other end of the alley for Shen Shiyan to question him with his small notepad. I could not make out what they were talking about, as they were too far away, but the two looked calm and serious. After Shen Shiyan finished up, he kept his notepad and led Wu Yu to the police car. Before entering the car, Wu Yu raised his face to look at me. I showed him an okay sign, telling him that I was fine; then he nodded and went into the car.


    While this happened, Shen Shiyan held the car door open stubbornly and stared ahead blankly as though he had not noticed the interaction between Wu Yu and me. After closing the car door, he took out his notepad again, drew a line across it with his pen, and seemingly made some preparations before coming before me.


    I stood at a corner with no one else around me. Shen Shiyan was similar in height to Wu Yu, both taller than me by one head¡¯s height. He gently tugged the brim of his hat; he glanced at me before looking at his notepad. ¡°Name?¡±


    I felt somewhat speechless as I looked at him and said, ¡°Shen Shiyan, you know all of this. My name, my occupation, where I live, my height, interests, and the traits I want in my partner. You know all of this, so why are you still asking?¡±


    He fell into a brief lull before saying, ¡°I just didn¡¯t think you would choose to date a repairman in the end.¡±


    Me, ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 21: Tan Jiao 04 (3)

    Noticing that his words may have been somewhat impulsive, he cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Could you give me a description of the man?¡±


    After carefully recalling the events that happened, I gave him a blow-by-blow account that he quickly recorded.


    He asked me several questions, which I answered promptly. He showed his seriousness toward his job as he wrote down my statement diligently. His questions were simple, clear, and logical, displaying how reliable and authoritative of a policeman he was.


    At the end of it all, he shut his notepad and said, ¡°I need you to come back with us to the station. You¡¯ll need to answer some more questions about the case.¡± Then he added, ¡°The two of you will be fine as long as you have nothing to do with the case.¡±


    I followed him to the car and could not help but ask, ¡°Will I be riding in the same car as Wu Yu?¡±


    He answered, ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    After going silent for a few seconds, he explained, ¡°We¡¯ll let you go after a few hours, then you two can see each other again.¡± I could not hear any emotion from his calm voice. Even though I wanted to explain my relationship with Wu Yu to him, it was complicated, so I left it as it was.


    Plus, I did not think he still had any lingering feelings for me. After all, we had only dated for two weeks, and we did not even hold hands. With his serious personality, he would also feel pretty awkward about it if I explained it to him, right?


    The other police car with Wu Yu had already left. I entered the other police car that already had a policeman seated in the driver¡¯s seat. Yet, Shen Shiyan came up to the driver side of the car and knocked on the window, saying, ¡°You take a seat at the back, I¡¯ll drive.¡±


    The guy asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Shen Shiyan replied, ¡°Just do as I say.¡±


    It was already dawn when the police car sped toward the city, leaving the quiet outskirts behind us. On the way, the two policemen did not speak to each other. I took a glance at the side of Shen Shiyan¡¯s statue-like, impassive face, and then I turned for a quick look at the similarly emotionless policeman beside me.


    Both of them had a special aura about them, the aura of a policeman.


    Suddenly, a thought sprung into my head.


    I cleared my throat then said, ¡°Shen Shiya, you¡¯re a detective. So are you, mister officer.¡±


    Without turning back, Shen Shiyan asked, ¡°So?¡±


    I let out a chuckle and explained, ¡°Well, if this child kidnapping case was random, the first responders to appear on scene should be uniformed officers. Yet, it was you guys that appeared. Shen Shiyan, you work in the serious crimes unit, so average cases wouldn¡¯t concern you. Which means that this is not the first case; it is a case of serial abduction.¡±


    The two of them said nothing.


    After a brief moment of silence, Shen Shiyan said, ¡°You can¡¯t ask so many questions.¡±


    Leaning back, I crossed my legs and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you any questions. I just made some logical deductions after casually thinking about it.¡±


    The proceedings that night were exactly as Shen Shiyan had said, and I was released from the police station around dawn after several hours of questioning.


    The police asked about everything, from very general questions to the most minute of details. I understood why they had to do this. I answered their general inquiries quite well, and I felt they must have eliminated their doubts about me. Yet, the other detective with Shen Shiyan could not put to rest the fact that I was dating Wu Yu. ¡°Are you really dating Wu Yu? We did a rough search online and found that you¡¯re a well-known author, making a decent income. You already own a house and car. Wu Yu, on the other hand, is just a repairman from another province. Why would you be dating him?¡±


    At first, my answers were short and simple. ¡°Because I like him.¡± Later on, the constant grilling annoyed me, so I answered, ¡°He¡¯s attractive. Not only is he handsome, but he¡¯s also very masculine. I would date him even if he were as poor as a church mouse.¡±


    I had no idea how Wu Yu would answer such a question, but I doubt he would have trouble answering them. After all, I had many appealing qualities.


    On the other hand, poor Shen Shiyan had his head hung low with an unpleasant look on his face when I answered that particular question. I felt somewhat frustrated and thought that each and every word I said was like a slap to his face. I figured his colleague probably knew nothing about Shen Shiyan and I. Well, even if I was him, I would not tell anyone about this matter.


    After they released me, I found out that Wu Yu had already gone home. I raised my face to bask in the rays of the morning sun. Although my mind was very tired after getting no rest for an entire night, I still had a thought that was sticking out.


    If Wu Yu did not leave me the note, then I¡¯m quite certain it can only be that serial criminal that appeared last night, that strange man.


    But why would he lead me to the crime scene? In fact, it even ruined his chance to commit a crime. I don¡¯t know him, so what is his purpose?


    I felt there was no way to get an answer nor could I use logic to figure out this problem.


    But, I was not without clues.


    There was Wu Yu.


    He had not told me why he had also appeared there, and my instincts told me that he knew something.


    Suddenly, I became agitated and filled with a strange feeling. Even though I had only known him for three days and knew absolutely nothing about him, many things connected him and I. He looked so similar to the man on that ship, the unusual emotions he displayed in front of me, and finally, how both of us went to the same place.


    Who is this guy?


    I made up my mind that I would go find him to sort things out after I slept and recovered my energy.

 Chapter 22: Wu Yu 04 (1)

    ¡ª¡ªWu Yu¡ª¡ª


    I knew she would come to find me.


    After getting back, I slept for a short while before waking up at around noon. Then I had a bowl of rice noodles at a restaurant beside the repair shop while frequently looking out the restaurant to check.


    She hasn¡¯t come.


    I worked in the shop for the whole afternoon. Even when the orange hue of the setting sun enveloped the open space in front of the shop, she still did not appear. Perplexed, I thought to myself, I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d be such a level-headed person. Or, is she bogged down by something?


    Around nine in the evening, when I was done with work and everyone else had left, I noticed an orange-red car coming toward the shop along the road while I pulled down the roll-up gate.


    The driver¡¯s skill was not good, evident from how slow they took the turn. Seeing that it was her, I left the roll-up gate open with a gap for her before going into the shack behind the shop.


    The shack was around ten square meters in size. My boss allowed me to stay in it with the condition that I looked after the shop. A yellow light bulb illuminated the place from above while a pile of my books filled the table at the side. I found two clean stools, placed them beside the bed, and sat down to watch the pot of noodles that was cooking on the stove.


    Someone knocked twice on the roll-up gate before I heard her voice, ¡°Is Wu Yu here?¡±


    Again, I felt like laughing for some reason and said with my voice raised, ¡°Come in.¡±


    She quickly lifted the curtain outside the door to my place and came in.


    I raised my eyes and took a glance at her. She was all cleaned up with her face looking radiant, probably because she had had enough rest. She wore a simple T-shirt on top with a short skirt and¡­ I suddenly felt as though a flash had hit my eyes.


    Below her short skirt were her legs¡ªthin, pearly-white, and straight.


    The noodles were cooked.


    I turned off the burner and placed the noodles into a bowl. Seeing that she clung to the door without moving, I told her to sit down. Immediately, she took a seat on the stool in response.


    Like a rabbit, she was sometimes smart, sometimes confused; occasionally quiet, occasionally frank.


    With a bowl of noodles in hand, I sat beside her and started to devour the food while feeling her gaze on my face. If she knew who I was, she probably would have never thought I had become like this. Yet, I already did not care.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come earlier?¡± I asked.


    She was taken aback briefly before saying, ¡°I came as soon as I woke up.¡±


    I took a look at the clock and saw that around ten hours had passed.


    She¡¯s really at ease. Even though so much has happened, she¡¯s able to sleep soundly, keeping me waiting for a whole day.


    Good for her.


    After I placed the empty bowl on the table, I grabbed two bottles of water from the corner and passed her one; she only took a sip. I raised my head, drinking half the bottle before noticing her slightly shy gaze on me.


    A feeling of edginess suddenly crept into my heart, but the evil thought that appeared in the deepest parts of my mind soon subverted, and I continued to drink my water calmly.


    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± I asked.


    She looked at me straight in the eye and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question last night. Why did you appear there?¡±


    The question triggered a surge of old memories to flash by my mind, yet ultimately, the pitch-black night scenery outside the window and the lingering image of her previously clean and fresh appearance was left. A brief smile appeared on my face as I took out a cigarette from my pocket to light up. However, I could not find my lighter.


    Before I knew it, she had found the lighter on the table and held it in her hand toward me. I suddenly had an urge and said, ¡°Light it up for me.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she replied. I looked at her thin fingers that were right in front of my eyes as I got close to her with the cigarette in my mouth. She struck the somewhat old lighter several times without success, so I reached over, holding her hand with the lighter. I gave the lighter a good flick, and it instantly lit up. While still holding her hand, I reached over with my face to light up the cigarette. But as soon as I let go of her hand, she tossed the lighter back to me with her face glowing red, avoiding my eyes and looking somewhere else.


    ¡°Tell me then,¡± she said.

 Chapter 23: Wu Yu 04 (2)

    I took a draw from the cigarette and asked, ¡°Do you recall those birds?¡±


    ¡°Birds?¡± she asked while looking stunned. Yet, I saw something briefly in her eyes, so I figured she must have known something about the birds.


    I nodded and continued, ¡°That¡¯s right. The birds we saw that day on the ship; those black-colored, strange-looking water birds. I¡¯ve never seen those birds anywhere else and couldn¡¯t even find them online.¡±


    The room abruptly became still as Tan Jiao seemed dumbfounded with a blank look in her eye. This made me feel somewhat uncomfortable, so I drew several mouthfuls of nicotine and let out a wry, self-mocking chuckle.


    Then she asked with her soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    I fixed my gaze on her and replied, ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Devastation covered her face as she seemed to reject my answer while shooting questions at me like a machine gun, ¡°How can this be? How could you change so drastically? There¡¯s no way you could become like this in such a short period! What¡¯s more, didn¡¯t you graduate from a prestigious university and was about to have a good life? How is it that¡­¡±


    ¡°Tan Jiao!¡± I interrupted her and even let out a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. People change. There¡¯s nothing bad about my current state.¡±


    Staring at me intently, she asked slowly, ¡°Wu Yu, what have you experienced?¡±


    I fell into a lull while looking at the cigarette in my hand extinguish. For a moment, I thought of revealing everything about myself to her. Yet, I could not. So I replied, ¡°Life.¡±


    She became speechless for quite some time.


    I lit up another cigarette and placed my hand on her shoulder. However, she instantly shrugged my hand off before turning her head away, not willing to look at me. She was angry and not happy, but I did not see an obvious reason.


    Finally, she bit her lip and said, ¡°Tell me more about the birds. I also feel like I¡¯ve seen those birds somewhere. You said on that ship; I have some memory of it. I¡¯ve also seen them a few times around town. But what is it with the birds?¡±


    ¡°Those birds are abnormal. They aren¡¯t supposed to be here in the city, and I¡¯ve noticed they seemed well trained; it¡¯s as though they are intelligent.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    I looked her in the eye and replied, ¡°Abnormal things are usually related to each other. I have a feeling that those birds may have a certain connection with what happened on that ship.¡±


    Taken aback briefly, she asked, ¡°Happened? What happened?¡±


    I never expected such a reaction from her. Is she different from me? I moistened my dry lips with a lick and explained, ¡°Do you recall the things that happened after our first day on that ship?¡±


    She looked perplexed for a moment before astonishment abruptly set in as though she had come to a certain realization. I felt somewhat bothered all of a sudden. This girl, how absent-minded is she? This matter has been bothering me for a long time, yet it seems as though she¡¯s clueless about it.


    I said, ¡°I have absolutely no memory of what happened on that ship after the first day. Yet, I can remember the day I got back home from the ship. Is this the case for you?¡±


    Biting her lip slightly, Tan Jiao said, ¡°Yes¡­ I just didn¡¯t realize this previously. I recall having a good trip and leaving the ship. But now that you¡¯ve brought it up, I feel that I can¡¯t remember anything from those few days¡ªnone of the details. How can this be?¡±


    Seeing that she was somewhat dazed, I passed her the bottle of water beside her. She took a drink of the water while having a preoccupied look as though she was thinking about something.


    When I saw that she had calmed down, I continued explaining, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been seeking the truth for the past year. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve not made any progress.¡±


    For some reason, my words seemed to have pushed her heart even closer to the edge of the cliff.

 Chapter 24: Wu Yu 04 (3)

    Tan Jiao hung her head low at first before jolting her head up and staring at me. ¡°What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯ve been seeking the truth, but I¡¯ve not made any progress.¡±


    She continued to fix her gaze on me intently while letting out a somewhat mocking chuckle. ¡°You said a year has passed? How can that be? Hasn¡¯t it only been a few weeks?¡±


    The room fell into a silence that seemed almost tangible once again. Flashes of terror surfaced in her eyes. I raised my head once more, taking a glance at the calendar hanging on the wall. I saw the written date there. For a split second, I felt somewhat perplexed as well. What¡¯s going on? However, I kept my cool and said, ¡°Tan Jiao, the day we went on the cruise was the 23rd of June, 2016. The date today is the 18th of July 2017. It has been one year and three weeks.¡±


    I could not describe the expression she had at that moment; her face was deathly pale, while her previously lively eyes looked like they had sunk into a dark swamp. Her gaze followed mine; she stared vacantly at the calendar before pulling out her phone from her bag to check the time. Realizing the passage of time, she became astonished and awed as if she had just woken up from a dream. She bit down on her lip harder and harder as if she was about to cry. It was like her entire person was going to crack into pieces like broken glass.


    ¡°I¡­¡± she stuttered before continuing, ¡°I thought only a few weeks have passed. I saw the year 2017 every day, yet I did not realize¡­ I have no memory of that entire year. It¡¯s as if nothing had happened.¡±


    Suddenly, I understood something.


    Both of us experienced some level of memory loss.


    While I lost several days, she lost an entire year.


    What is going on?


    I even speculated if we were somehow attacked while we were on that ship, which was why we lost our memories. Was it because her injuries were more severe, so the memories she lost were greater?


    ¡°So we haven¡¯t seen each other for a year?¡± She looked at me with her watery eyes and asked, ¡°That¡¯s why your transformation was so drastic? To the point where I couldn¡¯t recognize you at all?¡±


    Pain abruptly struck my heart, and I wanted to hug her with my outreached hand. However, she shoved my hand away, stood up, and stumbled out the door hurriedly.


    I got up and chased after her. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I want to go home. I need some time alone, so stay away! Don¡¯t follow me!¡±


    Standing at the door, I looked on as she rushed into her car before driving away in the next moment; she was like a panic-stricken rabbit.


    Yet, as though a small flame of pain became ignited in my heart, I took my bike and went after her.


    It was already deep into the night as I cruised along the city road with the calm scenery flashing past behind me. She drove only slightly faster than normal despite feeling emotionally overwhelmed. As if the wind blowing in my face had a calming effect, my troubled mind calmed down with the gentle glow of the moon shining down on us. Although we were both entangled in this mystifying situation, the road ahead of us was calm.


    I followed her until she reached her apartment building.


    She parked her car somewhat slanted and saw me when she exited it. There were about ten meters of silence between us as I sat on my motorcycle with my helmet on, looking at her mutely.


    Her face was already without tears and impassive. But her eyes had a peculiar calmness in them. She¡¯s a strong-hearted girl indeed. Finally, she spoke, ¡°You should go back, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said without moving.


    ¡°Go then!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She put on a somewhat unhappy expression and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go in if you¡¯re not going.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll wait till you go in.¡±


    After glancing at me, she went upstairs with her shoes clicking and echoing on the steps, seemingly energetic and positive, which relieved me of my worries.

 Chapter 25: Tan Jiao 05 (1)

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªTan Jiao¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I laid in bed like a lazy pig while feeling pleased with my ability to control my emotions, as I could still sleep around midnight after Wu Yu dropped a bombshell on me last night. When I woke up this morning, the fear I felt had lessened; perhaps, I felt that the fear was distant because of the vacantness in my mind.


    What should I do?


    Wu Yu¡¯s words proved to be true. I realized that the fallacious world I believed in when I looked at the calendar, my records, or even the previous cruise ticket.


    I suspected whether I was experiencing amnesia because when I tried to think back, the clearest memory I had was when I woke up on my sofa a few days ago. It was as If I had experienced a long dream. It felt similar to the movies, where some people have the memory of a fish¡ªonly possessing short-term memory.


    However, I could remember clearly everything that had happened to me before that cruise.


    Scratching my head, I felt a sense of chaos in my mind similar to my messy hair, like a bird¡¯s nest. I had no intentions of visiting a doctor because the symptoms I had were too outrageous, and I disliked the prospects of being treated like an alien for research.


    I decided to give Zhuang Yu a call first because she was like me¡ªa woman that could keep calm under stress.


    After spending some time explaining my symptoms to her, she remained mute briefly before saying, ¡°I get it now. In my opinion, this thing must have something to do with the cruise you took and the place you went. Didn¡¯t the two of you lose your memories after boarding the ship?¡±


    ¡°What connections could it have?¡±


    At that moment, Zhuang Yu fleshed out her calm sci-fi writer demeanor while explaining nonchalantly, ¡°It''s hard to pinpoint the exact reason. But, the simplest example would be the earth¡¯s magnetic field. Perhaps the two of you had gone to a place with an unusual magnetic field, causing an anomaly in your brain. While the manifestation in Wu Yu is memory loss of a few days, you appear to have lost a year¡¯s worth of memory.¡±


    ¡°Why is this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just giving you an example. How would I know the reason behind it? But, I do think the two of you must have encountered some sort of supernatural event, or perhaps something sci-fi.¡± After saying that, she could not repress the exhilaration that was stirring inside her anymore. ¡°Damn, I may finally have the opportunity to witness the occurrence of something supernatural in my lifetime. Not only that, but it¡¯s even happening to my best friend! This is so awesome!¡±


    ¡°... Zhuang Yu!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my bad. It¡¯s a habit of mine, you know. I feel for you girl¡­ actually, I don¡¯t. In fact, I admire what you have!¡±


    I let out an audible grunt of annoyance but thought of another important question and asked, ¡°What happened between us throughout this entire year? Do you remember?¡±


    Thinking nothing of it, Zhuang Yu replied casually, ¡°Sure, what else could happen between us other than going out for meals like we always do.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely you¡¯ll get treatment going to a hospital, how about¡­ I introduce you to my senior Da Na, who is in the field of quantum mechanics? You could have a chat with him.¡±


    ¡°No thank you,¡± I replied after feeling a headache when I heard quantum mechanics and whatnot.


    ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Well, whether the two of us have encountered something supernatural, sci-fi, or fantasy, facts are facts. As an inferential novelist, I firmly believe there is only one truth. Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m without clues. The breakthrough will be those supernatural birds and that strange person who left me a letter asking me if I wanted to find out what I¡¯ve lost. To find this person, I think I¡¯ll have to help the police solve the serial abduction cases.¡±

 Chapter 26: Tan Jiao 05 (2)

    After ending the call, I felt like a rather clear train of thought had appeared in my mind. First, I searched online about the abduction cases, but it was of little avail. For one, there were very few news articles about it. Even if there were, their descriptions were brief. Meanwhile, the online blogs were flushed with comments. Even though they contained some information, their validity was uncertain. After some thinking, I decided I would give Shen Shiyan a call.


    Unfortunately, I found out that I had deleted his phone number already. Luckily, I was smart and searched, through my old messages to find his number in a message that the matchmaker sent me.


    Knowing now that we had not seen each other for a year, I suddenly realized how similar he looked compared to before. He seems to be the type of person to keep his number.


    It connected after three rings, but Shen Shiyan only spoke after a few seconds of silence, ¡°Tan Jiao, what¡¯s up?¡±


    I felt somewhat moved, realizing that he still had my number saved.


    ¡°Detective Shen, I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    With a calm voice, he asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this, let me explain. Since the events last night occurred so abruptly, I felt that I haven¡¯t provided valuable information in the statement I gave, and I may have left out some things from my short-term memory. After all, I was frightened out of my wits and may have overlooked some details. After some thinking, I felt that my contribution could be greater if I had some related information to help with my memory.¡±


    He fell silent briefly before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not following.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as I once again felt the disconnection between him and me. Here we go again. If I were dealing with Wu Yu¡­ A thought sprouted in my mind, thinking that Wu Yu would know what I wanted to do despite us barely knowing each other.


    I let out a chuckle and said, ¡°Detective Shen, it¡¯s like this. Would it be possible for you to share with me information regarding the previous few abduction cases? Perhaps this could trigger certain memories in me. Since I¡¯m a victim, and I¡¯ve acted bravely in the face of danger, helping you guys, sharing the information with me should be fine.¡±


    With an almost uncompromising feel to his tone, ¡°No. Tan Jiao, we have rules of confidentiality.¡±


    Suddenly, I had the urge to punch him, but I knew it was unwise to go head-on against a stubborn rock. With a little thinking, I said quickly, ¡°I understand and respect the rules you guys have. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve noticed this, but according to the descriptions online, the suspect has already committed four abductions without anyone seeing his face or crossing paths with him. I¡¯m the only one that has come into contact with him, and I spent the longest time near him. As you know, a person¡¯s consciousness is categorized into the subconscious and normal consciousness. If I could trigger some memory from my subconscious to surface sooner, I could provide you guys with some crucial clue to help crack the case sooner.¡±


    He fell into silence, which made me somewhat nervous.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go check with my superior.¡±


    I felt thrilled, thinking, I got him. ¡°Great, go do it quickly.¡±


    Although Shen Shiyan was strict, he was very efficient. I received all the information after about an hour and came up with the following conclusion at the end of several hours of reading:


    Number one, the perpetrator had abducted four children to date. The abductions occurred at night without a fixed time. Some of the children were abducted while they were alone in the backyard, but in two cases, the perpetrator snuck into their rooms to abduct them. Even though his methods were simple, he succeeded every time. Evidently, his ability to move and observe must be exceptional.


    Number two, the age differences between the children were small. Two of them were five and six, while the other two were seven and eight.


    Number three, all the abducted children came from average households; none of them were wealthy. The only common denominator in all the cases was that they all lived in the city.


    Number four, photos of two of the crime scenes captured the presence of those strange birds. However, I was willing to bet that the police had not noticed this yet. Although the birds were not pictured in the other two crime scenes, that did not mean they were not there.

 Chapter 27: Tan Jiao 05 (3)

    Not only that, but the investigation from the police also provided me with some very valuable intel.


    First, the police believe that the perpetrator was a habitual thief; this was based on their analysis of the footprints found on the crime scene. While the outer side of his shoe sole seemed severely worn, the inner side seemed relatively well preserved. Similarly, the sole of the shoe had little wear. I agreed with their analysis because that man did seem exceptionally light-footed. As such, it would seem that this man had received some level of training.


    But why would an expert thief all of a sudden turn to abducting children? Did he want to change his vocation?


    Previously, I thought the police were unaware of the perpetrator¡¯s face, but they had actually examined the surveillance cameras on the streets. They had already obtained a picture of his face; it was the face I saw that night. The police had even obtained his fingerprints. Yet, the police had no records of the fingerprints or his face, so they could not identify him. As such, they failed to locate any of the children.


    The case did not seem complicated from the perspective of purely the case details. However, I felt there were things hidden at every turn that I could not explain currently. I brought the information with me, intending to find Wu Yu. For some reason, on my way to the repair shop, I kept having this feeling that I had missed something important, something I just could not put together.


    At the shop, Xiaohua told me that Wu Yu had gone out with two of his colleagues to a restaurant on the next street for food. He even kindly gave me the restaurant address and Wu Yu¡¯s phone number.


    I parked my car in front of an old and run-down restaurant with an oily damp patch on the street in front of it. The outdoor area was still packed with customers even though it was already two in the afternoon. I saw Wu Yu and his colleagues sitting inside right away and was thinking about whether I should head in. At that moment, he saw me and called out, ¡°Tan Jiao.¡±


    His two colleagues immediately recognized me when I walked over and let out surprised smiles before turning their gaze toward Wu Yu to tease him. Yet, Wu Yu seemed unaffected by them and pulled over a chair beside himself, gesturing for me to come sit before giving his colleges a shut-it look. Although they let out chuckles, they did not say much.


    Naturally, I am casual about it. After all, there was nothing between Wu Yu and I. He had only touched my face and hand, no big deal. But when I sat down beside him, being so close to him in public with his eyes on me, I suddenly felt my face burning up and dryness in my throat.


    Also¡­ hunger.


    As I realized the fact that I had not eaten anything since morning, I abruptly felt that the leftover cold food in front of me looked tasty.


    Wu Yu asked, ¡°Is there something you want to discuss?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk later.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Had lunch?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered honestly.


    He let out a smile before handing me the simple-looking menu. ¡°Get a couple of dishes.¡± I took the menu and looked at it with reservation while his two colleagues stood up and said, ¡°Brother Yu, we¡¯ll be heading back now.¡±


    ¡°Sure. You guys head off. I¡¯ll pay for this meal.¡±


    The other guy let out an approving smile when he heard that and said, ¡°Of course, you¡¯re buying.¡± Wu Yu did not respond.


    I pretended I did not hear that and ordered two other dishes while Wu Yu got the waiter to clear the table before pouring us each a cup of water. As we waited for the food, I passed him the information which he read carefully; it seemed we were the quietest customers in the restaurant.


    After some time, I asked, ¡°Since something so big has happened, why are you still working today? Why didn¡¯t you look for me to discuss the next step?¡±


    He raised his face to look at me. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you need some time to yourself?¡±


    Er¡­ I did say that.


    He lowered his head again and continued, ¡°But if you didn¡¯t come to me by tonight, I¡¯d go to find you.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I replied while suddenly feeling a sliver of warmth in my heart.

 Chapter 28: Tan Jiao 05 (4)

    Immediately, I pounced on the food when it was served. For some reason, probably because I was famished, the food from this hole-in-the-wall restaurant unexpectedly tasted exceptionally good.


    ¡°This is so good!¡± I exclaimed.


    He let out a smile and said, ¡°The food is indeed delicious.¡±


    ¡°How did you find this place?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find this place, my colleagues brought me here.¡± He paused before saying, ¡°I despised this kind of restaurant back in the day when I was studying in Beijing. Only now have I realized that these are just the prejudices people form. The boss here is that lady over there; she is a widow with two children, working hard to support her family and maintain this restaurant. This place is clean, and the food is good, attracting people that want a delicious yet bang for the buck meal.¡±


    I looked around the restaurant after hearing that and saw that most of the people here were factory workers and farmers while I, a young lady, was the odd one out. Compared to the restaurants I have been to in the past, this restaurant seemed more energetic, cruder, and cozier.


    I could not help but let out a smile. When I turned back, I noticed Wu Yu¡¯s gaze fixed on me. He promptly looked away, lowering his face and turning his attention back to the information in his hand with an impassive look on his face.


    My heart fluttered somewhat with excitement before I lowered my head and continued eating.


    I recalled asking him last night what he had experienced during the past year; he had answered simply with one word¡ªlife. I had no idea what he meant by that, and a search online with his name was fruitless because it only gave a brief description of his life before he went for his master¡¯s degree. He used to be someone that seemed successful, and I had even criticized him for being too deliberate with his actions. However, he seemed like a completely different person now, leaving behind what he had for this crude life.


    The old him would have detested this type of restaurant and that lady boss. But now, he was enjoying the food here and even rushed in without hesitation to save the child last night, receiving a punch to his face in the process.


    He must have experienced a whirlpool of destruction for such a change in his character.


    I looked at his short black hair, his broad forehead, and those beautiful jet black eyes. How could I have not recognised him right away? How could there be a second person in this world with such masculinity? Even though he looked rougher now with his stubbly chin, rugged appearance, red tan around his neck because of his simple T-shirt, and the minute wounds on his big repairman hands, he seemed more captivating compared to before.


    ¡°Stop staring at me,¡± Wu Yu said abruptly without raising his head.


    I immediately responded while my heart skipped a beat, ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the man I was.¡±


    I did not understand what he meant, but he continued to say, ¡°I won¡¯t give up easily just because of pride or certain goals and benefits.¡±


    He raised his face to look at me, causing my heart to race slightly as though I had received a shot of adrenaline. Immediately, I understood what he meant.


    ¡°Oh, you gave up after we fought on that ship?¡±


    He fell silent for a moment before he said, ¡°I waited for you all night at the restaurant, but you didn¡¯t appear.¡±


    A hint of bitterness unexpectedly surfaced in my heart as I recall my disdain for him on that day. Of course, I could not allow myself to go to the restaurant, so I got the meal delivered to my room before going to sleep. Everything after that was blank.


    The two of us fell into a lull before I placed my chopsticks down and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can finish this.¡±


    ¡°You can pack up the leftovers for later.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll have this for dinner later.¡±


    He smiled.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the case. It seems now that finding that man through helping the police solve this case is the only way for us to get closer to the truth.¡±


    Although I have never solved a case, I have done countless deductions and story designs based on real-world cases. Furthermore, my mentality on this was that two heads were better than one. With Zhuang Yu¡¯s wealth of sci-fi information, Wu Yu, and I, we would surely be able to crack this case. At a crucial moment like this, I knew I should not show incompetence or cowardness, so I nodded solemnly and even gave his shoulder a tap before I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here. Even though you know nothing about deductions, your physical strength will come in handy. We¡¯ll be able to complement each other.¡±


    He let out a smile. ¡°Sure.¡±


    I picked up some of the information, giving it a brief read before scratching my head. ¡°So, where should we start? Normally, there are two approaches to solving a case. The first is to think ahead, while the other is looking back. Looking back means analysing the previous victims and the perpetrator¡¯s background in order to find a pattern or motive, perhaps even revealing the perpetrator¡¯s identity in the process. Thinking ahead is to predict his behavior to find his next target and apprehend him. Of course, the two methods are inseparable.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s think forward.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I prefer doing things in a simple and logical way.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡± I felt a slight quiver in my heart. What am I feeling? Is it because this man has both brains and brawn?


    I repressed my feelings and asked, ¡°Where should we start?¡±


    Our gaze met after that with his eyes clearly sparkling.


    ¡°The birds.¡±


    ¡°The birds.¡±


    Unexpectedly, we both said the same thing.


    Although the birds appeared at most of the crime scenes, it was not yet clear to us whether they were merely an ominous sign or connected to us in some mysterious way. Yet, their existence meant that we would have to follow them to figure out their secrets. Obviously, Wu Yu and I were thinking about the same thing.


    ¡°Where did you last see the birds?¡± Wu Yu asked.


    Right as I was about to answer him, shock filled me. His question was like an intense flash of light that abruptly illuminated my mind. It made me realize something; the thing I had overlooked while on my way here.


    I stared at Wu Yu with my eyes wide open while he fixed his gaze on me promptly.


    ¡°Wu Yu, I think I know who the next victim is.¡±

 Chapter 29: Tan Jiao 05 (5)

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªStill Tan Jiao¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I felt a great sense of achievement when I saw Wu Yu looking at me, speechless and awestruck. I shuffled over to him with the stool I was on, wanting to communicate clearer in this noisy environment. Yet, before I even opened my mouth, he asked, ¡°You saw the birds as well?¡±


    Jeez, do you have to be that quick-witted?


    I nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, when I was dining at a family-oriented restaurant with plenty of children around. That¡¯s where I saw those birds; there were hundreds of them, lingering outside the restaurant. If the birds are some kind of foreshadowing, then does it mean that perhaps that person is there? Perhaps selecting the next target?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Should we warn the police to have them take precautions in advance?¡±


    Although his answer was yet another simple yes, he seemed particularly attractive with his dark sparkling pupils that paid close attention to me. Even the manner in which he sat on the stool similar to mine was attractive.


    At that moment, Wu Yu waved to a waiter that was passing by and said, ¡°Please get us the bill.¡±


    I pulled out my wallet, intending to pay for the meal. ¡°Let me. I ate quite a bit and¡­ I¡¯m the reason your colleagues asked you to pay for the meal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another matter,¡± he said casually.


    The waiter let out a smile while looking at the two of us before reaching out for Wu Yu¡¯s money. I stretched my arm over, insisting that the waiter took my money. However, before my hand could fully extend out, a firm and muscular arm appeared in front of me, blocking my way. I wanted to push him aside, but I was instead firmly fixed on my stool, unable to move. My outreached hand was even caught by him.


    ¡°Hey, why should I let you pay for the meal?¡±


    While he handed money to the waiter, he replied softly, ¡°I¡¯ll let you pay if you¡¯re able to go over.¡±


    Unfortunately, my mind was occupied with something else as my heart fluttered wildly. I felt Wu Yu¡¯s warm skin gently burning my neck and cheek.


    ¡°That¡¯s unreasonable,¡± I muttered, which triggered a smile from him.


    I did not dare to remain in this position for too long, so I leaned back, breaking away from his dominance. I said with a cool tone, ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll pay next time.¡±


    He responded similarly with a casual okay.


    My mind came back online with the gradual normalization of my heartbeat as the two of us got up. While walking out, a thought sprung into my mind and I said, ¡°Oh no! My best friend and her nephew were also at the restaurant that day; this means they might be in danger as well.¡±


    Wu Yu turned to me when he heard this and asked, ¡°How old is her nephew?¡±


    ¡°Eight but with a small stature; he is easily mistaken for a six or seven-year-old.¡±


    With a worried look in his eyes, he said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not only possible but very likely that the next target would be them.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked in shock.


    ¡°I saw those birds outside the workshop a few days ago, roughly ten of them. I pondered then why they appeared there. According to my speculations, these birds do not appear for no reason. The only other possible reason is that they recognized me even though I¡¯ve only encountered them on that ship. Perhaps you think this is inconceivable, but that is the feeling I got.¡±


    I was dumbstruck but soon became convinced that he was not jesting when I saw the serious look on his face. Although what he said seemed impossible, I was willing to trust him because he seemed confident about the feeling he had.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying those birds might have recognized me as well?¡±


    A look of admiration flashed across his face as he looked at me before explaining, ¡°The night we encountered the perpetrator, I saw hundreds of those birds gathered in that area. The fact that they appeared in front of the restaurant may mean that they were on a hunt. If they were able to recognize you as well, then it¡¯s highly possible that they¡¯ll take notice of the child with you.¡±


    Chaos filled my heart instantly, prompting me to walk faster toward the car. ¡°I need to quickly warn Zhuang Yu and the police.¡±


    Right as I pulled out my car keys, Wu Yu said, ¡°Let me drive.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He looked at me and said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your driving.¡±


    I flushed immediately as I understood what he was insinuating. ¡°Sure. You drive. Let¡¯s see how good you are.¡±

 Chapter 30: Tan Jiao 05 (6)

    Without saying anything more, Wu Yu sat in the driver¡¯s seat, familiarizing himself with the car¡¯s control while I entered from the front passenger side. After a short while, he launched the car into a speed considerably faster than mine. I felt somewhat apprehensive, as this was my first time witnessing my orange mini SUV going at a speed of eighty to ninety miles an hour. However, his driving was steady, from changing lanes, overtaking, and going through bends. I was not too surprised. After all, he dealt with cars on a daily basis.


    I pulled out my phone and called Shen Shiyan first.


    ¡°Hello, Shen Shiyan. I have something to tell you.¡±


    Shen Shiyan sounded busy on the other end of the call as he replied simply and shortly, ¡°Sure, Tan Jiao.¡±


    ¡°You showing me the information related to the cases has proven to be a wise decision. I recall seeing someone that seems to be that man a few days ago at a Friendly Teddy restaurant.¡± Obviously, I could not tell him about our theory on the birds, so my only option was to talk about that man.


    I continued to explain, ¡°It¡¯s the Friendly Teddy at the old part of town, where plenty of children visit. That¡¯s why I wonder if that man was there picking his next target there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an important clue. Where are you now? Are you able to come over to the station to give us a detailed explanation?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. I need to warn my friend whose child was also present at that restaurant that day. I suggest you quickly check the surveillance there to see who the children present were and provide them with as much protection as possible.¡±


    ¡°We will deal with that accordingly. Tell me where you¡¯re going so that I can communicate with you conveniently.¡±


    ¡°Where I am going?¡± I was taken aback briefly, thinking about the fact that Xiaohao was staying with his grandparents while his parents went overseas. As such, I told Shen Shiya the address of Xiaohao¡¯s grandparent¡¯s place.


    ¡°Tan Jiao, you¡¯ve encountered the suspect twice now. You should be careful.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will be. Thank you.¡±


    Right as I said that, the car suddenly swung to the right, overtaking a car in front of us while both of our bodies swayed in response. I felt somewhat shaken, turning to Wu Yu with a quizzical look. You were driving pretty steadily previously, so what¡¯s with the sudden maneuver? However, Wu Yu seemed calmer than ever as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Drive better, you!¡± I warned him with my lowered voice and received a casual ¡®Oh¡¯ from him.


    On the other end of the call, Shen Shiyan said, ¡°You are¡­ never mind. See you later.¡±


    ¡°Oh, see you later.¡±


    After ending my call with Shen Shiyan, I quickly gave Zhuang Yu a call to warn her. She responded with a hint of excitement in her worried voice, ¡°So this guy will do something to me and Xiaohao? He should just go after me. Why Xiaohao as well?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re mistaken. He¡¯ll only go after Xiaohao.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± she responded before turning serious. ¡°I spoke to Xiaohao on the phone just now, and he seems fine. I¡¯ll give them a call immediately after this and tell them to be careful. Should we meet at Xiaohao¡¯s place?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief after the call. With a heavy heart, I looked out the car window toward the city that was brightly lit by the setting sun. I realized now that my fate had already become intertwined with the man sitting beside me. Yet, everything I knew about this man¡¯s past was blank.


    Filled with curiosity, I deliberated for a brief moment before I asked, ¡°So have you been staying in Dali this whole year?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve gone to other places.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Since we¡¯re already working together, I was wondering if you could answer a question I have?¡±


    He stayed silent, not immediately responding to me. I sneaked a peek at him, but I did not see any obvious expression on his face that was reflecting a slight orange hue from the setting sun.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t ask.¡±


    I was taken aback by his straightforward yet unexpected rejection. It was as though he knew what I wanted to ask as he fixed his gaze forward. This was the first time I clearly saw in his eyes a seemingly lonely ocean of water that was shunning me.

 Chapter 31: Tan Jiao 05 (7)

    His response did not upset me; rather, it stirred up memories of the expression he had when we talked about the same subject last night, causing a slight ache in my heart.


    Changing to a more casual tone, I said, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s not talk about that. We¡¯ve met each other twice now, and I know your current and previous occupation. But, do you know what I do?¡±


    Finally, he let out a smile and said, ¡°Can¡¯t tell.¡±


    I felt a flare of joy in my heart. ¡°I¡¯m a web novel author. Have you ever heard of a job like this? I won¡¯t tell you my pen name though, since we¡¯re not that close.¡±


    As the sun went down, the light reflecting from the sky softened. I felt a sense of tranquility in my heart after our little chat. Unwittingly, I looked toward him, fixing my gaze on his composed expression while he said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for the day when you tell me.¡±


    I placed my hand behind my head and said nothing while feeling at ease with the silence between us.


    Soon, we came close enough for me to see the row of houses around Xiaohao¡¯s place, which looked like small wooden model houses from this distance.


    Then, out of nowhere, Wu Yu said, ¡°There are around ten birds on that roof.¡±


    Shocked by his words, I replied, ¡°You can see that far away? I don¡¯t see the birds?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll spot them when we get closer.¡±


    Sure enough, I saw the birds like little black dots on an electric pole after we got closer. There were around twenty of them densely packed together. ¡°Damn, you have amazing vision.¡±


    He let out a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s just better.¡± After pausing slightly, he continued, ¡°I¡¯ll explain it to you in the future.¡±


    After he parked the car, we knocked on the door. Zhuang Yu, who had already arrived, greeted us. When she saw Wu Yu, her gaze immediately turned somewhat cold; she greeted him with courtesy while remaining somewhat aloof. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Tan Jiao¡¯s friend, Zhuang Yu.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Wu Yu,¡± he replied with a nod.


    ¡°I knew that when I saw you,¡± Zhuang Yu said softly, giving me a shock. Quickly, I intervened, planning to ask her where Xiaohao was.


    Before I finished my question, Xiaohao came running out from his room, screaming, ¡°Sister Tan! What brings you here? Is that guy your boyfriend?¡±


    Before Wu Yu and I had uttered a word, Zhuang Yu said casually, ¡°What are you shouting about? Do you think sister Tan will go out with just anyone? In fact, she has many admirers, so who knows how things will go.¡±


    ¡°... Zhuang Yu, thank you. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    I glanced at Wu Yu and saw him looking deeply at me, causing my heart to race slightly.


    Xiaohao reluctantly returned to his room while his grandparents came out from the kitchen to greet us before going back in. I asked, ¡°How did you explain it to them?¡±


    ¡°How else could I¡¯ve told them? I told them that a psychopath has been going around our area abducting children and got them to be more careful. Old people usually get that. Don¡¯t worry, they will take good care of Xiaohao.¡±


    Her answer comforted me.


    ¡°I want to take a look around,¡± Wu Yu said.


    ¡°Sure. Do we need to get some weapons ready? I have a variety of¡­¡± Zhuang Yu said before I quickly shut her up, covering her mouth with my hand.


    Xiaohao¡¯s place was a self-built three-story old building with clear-cut square dimensions. Fortunately, the balcony where the three of us stood had bars installed to prevent thieves; this was the case for the windows in the rooms as well. Zhuang Yu raised her hand and claimed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll look after Xiaohao for these few days, making sure he doesn¡¯t go out to play.¡±


    The three of us stood on the balcony and looked out the window at the birds. Some were on an electric pole, while some were circling in the air. Perhaps Wu Yu¡¯s words had stirred up something in me, as when I looked at the eyes of those birds, it suddenly made me feel as though they were looking at me, looking at us.


    Perhaps these birds do have some secret.


    At this moment, Wu Yu told me he needed my car afterward, so I asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I failed last time when I tried to follow them on foot. I want to see where they go tonight when they return with nothing to show for.¡±


    Both Zhuang Yu and I became dumbstruck after hearing that before Zhuang Yu asked, ¡°Follow the birds? Will you be able to keep up with them? They fly off very quickly.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t know if I don¡¯t try.¡±


    ¡°Fine, go then. Be careful though,¡± I said.


    Wu Yu said that he would before glancing at me. ¡°You be careful too.¡±


    Zhuang Yu, who stood beside me, nudged me with her elbow while putting on a strange expression. Immediately, I gave her a meaningful look; she responded promptly with a look of enlightenment before lowering her head to hide her wry smile.


    Right then, a police car drove up to the building, and I saw the person in the driver¡¯s seat at a glance. At the same time, I let out an involuntary cry. ¡°Shen Shiyan? Why is he here?¡±


    After parking the police car, Shen Shiyan looked up and saw us standing on the balcony. Zhuang Yu was as shocked as I was and muttered, ¡°That¡¯s the dull rock you talked about? He doesn¡¯t seem like a dull person?¡±


    I let out a sigh and told her, ¡°Everything about him is dull. Go have a try if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    She let out a casual ¡®Oh¡¯ before heading down.


    ¡°He¡¯s also one of the admirers?¡± Wu Yu asked out of nowhere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Zhuang Yu¡¯s nonsense. He and I¡­ are just ordinary friends.¡±


    At this moment, the flock of birds abruptly took to the air. They were either alarmed, or they had spotted something, flying away in the direction of the leading bird. My heart pounded in shock. I noticed that Wu Yu, who was by my side, had already run down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going,¡± he said before leaving.


    I shouted that I would go with him, but he did not respond to me. When I finally got downstairs, I only saw Zhuang Yu and Shen Shiyan standing there stunned with the gate wide open and the roars of an engine that promptly faded into the distance.


    I stood at the door feeling somewhat dejected, thinking that I could only wait for him.


    However, the next time I saw Wu Yu, he would be lying on the ground with a bloody head injury.

 Chapter 32: Wu Yu 05 (1)

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªWu Yu¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I parked the car at the foot of a remote hill where the flock of birds I had been following disappeared to. The area was very accessible and not too far away from the city, yet it was uninhabited and without any light; it was a perfect place for a criminal to hide.


    Walking along the trail hikers created, I swiftly got on my way up the hill, feeling glad that Tan Jiao had not come along. After all, it would have been very difficult for her with all the overgrown thistles with thorns and possibly snakes, poisonous insects, or aggressive ants hidden in the darkness.


    I hated seeing her suffer.


    After about half an hour of climbing, around halfway up the hill, I saw a faint glimmer of light coming from the forest ahead, prompting me to abandon the trail for the steep slope at the side.


    I arrived behind a huge boulder and peeked around the corner to find an old, rundown wooden shack with a kerosene lamp hanging around the door. Inside the shack were several children curled up in the corner, shivering badly. That man was also there, sitting on a worn cane chair, chin in hand while gazing at the children intently like he was in a trance.


    Although there were around ten meters between us, I could recognize those four children that had gone missing. Yet, there was something strange about the situation upon closer inspection. While three of the children looked lean and haggard with shabby clothes on, the six-year-old boy named Zhu Zhihan was different. He had clean clothes and was munching away at a piece of bread in one hand, milk in the other. He was even sitting on a chair. The other children looked at the six-year-old boy with envy. The child that the man was looking intently at was none other than Zhu Zhihan.


    Hundreds of those birds stopped around the shack like a dense, black mass guarding it, quietly and obediently waiting there.


    After finishing the bread in his hand, the chubby boy Zhu Zhihan looked toward the man timidly and said, ¡°Mister, I want to have another piece of bread.¡± The other children also pleaded when they heard this, ¡°Mister, we want some food too!¡± ¡°Mister, please give me one!¡± ¡°Mister, why can he have food but not us?¡±


    The man grinned before taking out a piece of bread from his pocket. He said with a stutter, ¡°Shut...shut it! You¡­ you boys¡­ are not comparable to him.¡± After receiving the bread from the man, Zhu Zhihan looked briefly toward the other boys before devouring it. The other boys did not dare to say anything, only letting out soft whimpers.


    I lowered my head slowly, intending to walk back from where I came from without alerting them. However, a bird suddenly swooped by above me, causing my heart to drop as a bad feeling filled my heart. Sure enough, that bird let out a piercing call while flying toward the shack, alerting the man. He snapped his head toward my direction before letting out an eerie grin that seemed to contain a mix of joy and sadness. The birds were startled as they all flapped their wings in a flurry of motion, creating a sound like a gust of wind blowing by a forest. Then the man let out a whistle, and the birds formed a cyclone of darkness that came after me!


    There was nowhere for me to hide on this steep slope, and there was no time for me to leap off safely. As such, I immediately snapped a somewhat thick branch to use as a weapon, taking down several of the birds as I swung at them. Unfortunately, there were far too many of them, and they showered me with their attacks.


    As I saw their sharp beaks and yellowish-brown vicious eyes, I abruptly understood that they were trying to take out my eyes. Immediately, I raised my arm to cover my eyes, exposing my neck and my entire arm to their merciless attacks, leaving me with countless bloody cuts.


    At that moment, I felt someone coming from behind me. It was that man, and he was trying to attack me while standing on that huge boulder.


    Having the low ground, I was at a complete disadvantage. I had the vicious birds trying to take my eyes out in front and that strange man behind.


    My actions now would decide whether I won or lost and whether I lived or died.


    On the spur of the moment, I freed both my arms before springing toward the man, grabbing his legs to bring him down with me. The man looked shocked and dropped the stick he was holding as fell down with me while the birds came at us from all directions.


    Both of us tumbled down the steep slope before I heard a thud behind my head, accompanied by sharp pain, knocking me out completely.

 Chapter 33: Wu Yu 05 (2)

    I did not know how long I was out before vaguely feeling someone touching my body, stimulating my chaotic mind and waking me up.


    After opening my eyes, the first thing I saw was the half-moon in the sky glowing brightly, lighting up the treetops. Then I felt gentle hands lifting my head up, placing something soft behind my head.


    In the darkness, I saw the side of her face. Currently, she had no idea I was conscious. After staring at me blankly for a while, she lowered her head and held me close to her.


    Her embrace left me awestruck; my face was only inches away from her neck, basking in her gentleness, warmth, and sweetness. ¡°Wu Yu, you won¡¯t die, right? The ambulance is only twenty minutes away. Don¡¯t die on me. I won¡¯t¡­ be able to take it.¡±


    Although I felt pain all over my body, my heart surged with joy before I kissed her thin and silky clavicle on the spur of the moment.


    Yet, I regretted it immediately, her thinking to myself what I had done.


    Sensing that she had become frozen, I said her name, which surprised her. Then she let me go and exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±


    ¡°You would¡¯ve likely thought I¡¯m dead if I didn¡¯t wake up,¡± I said as I held her hand and stumbled on my feet.


    She looked at me worriedly and explained, ¡°You have a big bump behind your head and a wound that was bleeding!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just had a fall.¡±


    She held my arm with both hands while staring at me with her big eyes, saying nothing. Her usual air of arrogance was nowhere to be found. Instead, she seemed like a small, nervous animal. I let out a smile that I could not hide. She noticed it and said with a speechless look, ¡°You¡¯re still able to smile at a time like this? You must have knocked your wits out.¡±


    ¡°How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°Well, why did you leave so quickly? Did you want to be the hero? My car has a GPS. I came over when I saw that you had parked the car there for a long time without moving. Then when I called you at the foot of the mountain, you didn¡¯t answer your phone. I felt that something was wrong and decided to come look for you. Good thing I found you.¡±


    I looked at her legs covered in scratch wounds; there were even cuts on her arms. Yet, she did not seem to care about it. I cared.


    I held one of her hands and caressed it with my fingers gently as I asked, ¡°Are you not scared?¡±


    She froze once more while looking at me with her sparkling eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to think about that,¡± she replied before withdrawing her hand and pretending as if nothing had occurred. ¡°What happened to you up there?¡±


    With her help, we walked back up the woods to find an expected result: the light, the people, and all of the birds had vanished without a trace.


    I got her to call Shen Shiyan immediately before giving her an account of what I saw and everything that had happened.


    While waiting for the police to come, the two of us sat against a large boulder surrounded by darkness. We only had an on-and-off and somewhat malfunctioning flashlight she brought.


    ¡°Was there anything special with the boy, Zhu Zihan?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t observe anything special about him.¡±


    She furrowed her brows, thinking about something before she said, ¡°There must be a reason.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    I raised my face toward the dark sky dotted with a smattering of stars and felt that the sky seemed particularly lonely tonight, prompting me to pull out a cigarette. As I was about to light it, I saw Tan Jiao¡¯s eyes that were reflecting the orange light from the lighter fire. She looked at me intently. ¡°You can¡¯t stop smoking, can you?¡±


    I took a draw from my lit cigarette and quipped, ¡°Have you ever seen a laborer that doesn¡¯t smoke?¡±


    She let out a smile in response, a seemingly meaningful smile.


    I took the cigarette out of my mouth and asked her if she wanted a go.


    She shook her head. ¡°I dislike women that smoke.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    I noticed her hands subconsciously moving back and forth on the ground. Upon closer inspection, I found her pulling out weeds, kneading them in her hand before mashing the grass ball and throwing it away. I looked at her little actions and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll handle everything and crack the case? What¡¯s detective Tan thinking about?¡±


    She dusted her hands off and said, ¡°Well, this man is not abducting the children for money. If he was, why didn¡¯t he abduct children from wealthy families? Also, you observed that the children were not tortured, which means the perp is not doing this to fulfill a desire. If he¡¯s schizophrenic and is just randomly abducting children, then why is he able to succeed every time without leaving a trace? Also, he seems to be following a certain pattern with his abductions. He is not selling the children to another person but keeping them here. So what do you think he¡¯s up to?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s clear-minded and he¡¯s not doing it for money, power, or desires, then it must be love or hate.¡±


    Shock briefly appeared on Tan Jiao¡¯s face, seemingly not expecting such a response from me. ¡°Yeah¡­ what you said is possible. But, we could also do a more detailed analysis of his psyche through our observation of him so far. Hear me out. I have noticed that his victims are all from the same area. Even though there were children ages seven and eight, they looked like five or six year olds because of their small stature. As such, we can conclude that the targets he chooses look around the same age while having similar family backgrounds. Yet, after all that effort, he merely keeps them here. So it seems to me he¡¯s keeping them¡­ as companions.¡±


    Our gaze met while our surroundings filled with chirps of crickets, and the flashes of police cars appeared at the foot of the hill.


    ¡°The information from the police details the man as a habitual thief that has received training with years of experience.¡±


    Tan Jiao said, ¡°Most of the thieves syndicates control have lost their families. Some were even orphans themselves.¡±


    There was a brief pause between us before she said, ¡°But what has he got to do with that ship? With what has happened to us?¡±


    The image of that man controlling the birds and that twisted smile which seemed sad and joyous at the same time emerged in my mind. ¡°Tan Jiao, when we were on that ship, did you see that person?¡±


    Tan Jiao was somewhat taken aback. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Neither have I. I guess we can only discover the truth when we catch him.¡±

 Chapter 34: Tan Jiao 06 (1)

    Footsteps sounded out as the police came up.


    I found this night to be rather chaotic even as the calm cool breeze blew by us. While Wu Yu stood up with his blood-covered head and an impassive face, a lingering burning sensation remained around that spot on my neck.


    Did he touch me unintentionally or did he¡­ kiss me on purpose?


    I sneaked a peek as he stood up, catching a glimpse of his cold bushy brows.


    I must be thinking too much. He¡¯s not that kind of guy.


    The first person to come was Shen Shiya. He took a glance at us quizzically. Then he and the other policemen turned their attention to Wu Yu¡¯s ghastly and bloody-looking head. A doctor was in tow and immediately tended to Wu Yu.


    Shen Shiya walked up to me and asked if we could talk to the side. I agreed to his request before taking a brief look at Wu Yu, who had his gaze fixed on us as he allowed the doctor to treat him.


    Those gloomy eyes that seemed mystifying.


    Subconsciously, I straightened my back and put on a stern face in front of Shen Shiyan for some reason. Next, I gave him a rough account of what had happened tonight.


    Shen Shiyan took out his small notepad and wrote down everything with diligence and speed.


    ¡°After Wu Yu ran out of Zhou Xiaoyu¡¯s place, I immediately went to the closest police station to check the surveillance. Yet, there was no footage of the man appearing anywhere in the area. So, how did Wu Yu find this place?¡±


    It took me a few seconds to equate the name Zhou Xiaoyu to Zhuang Yu. I hurriedly replied, ¡°My friends are fine, right?¡±


    ¡°They are fine. Nothing happened. Also, the restaurant you told me about previously. I¡¯ve¡­ checked the surveillance.¡± He did not finish his sentence but fixed his gaze on me intently.


    This guy does his job with care, so it would be hard to fool him. Oh no! Wu Yu and I haven¡¯t discussed what to tell the police. Everything happened so quickly, and we were discussing the case. We found this place by following the birds, so what should I tell him?


    Oddly, Shen Shiyan, who seemed like a dull monk during my date with him, now seemed brainier when at a crime scene. As if he had seen through me, he suddenly took a small step to the side, blocking my line of sight to Wu Yu before raising his single eyelid eyes to scrutinize me.


    ¡°...¡±


    The searchlight the police brought was very bright. Not only did it light up the surrounding area, but it also illuminated the eyes of a seemingly determined and principled man.


    Sometimes, a person would be touched by another¡¯s certain looks.


    After staying silent for a while, I said, ¡°You want me to speak the truth. But will you believe me when I tell you the truth?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    I did not expect such a straightforward answer from him, so I subconsciously asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I know you¡¯re an honest woman.¡±


    I had to say I felt a warmth at that moment, feeling somewhat moved by his words. Yet, another thought sprang into my mind as I thought back to the most honest thing I had ever done to him¡ªreject him without any hesitancy.


    I rubbed my nose and said, ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to note down what I say from now on. The reason why we suspected the man would go for the children at the restaurant or my friend¡¯s nephew was the appearance of those birds at the crime scenes.¡±


    ¡°Birds?¡± Shen Shiyan was taken aback and paused briefly, seemingly thinking about something. ¡°Are you talking about those black, pointy-tailed birds?¡±


    It¡¯s no wonder that he¡¯s a detective. His observational skills are truly exceptional. I nodded my head and told him everything we knew about the correlation between the birds and the crime scenes. Nothing about the ship, of course.


    It also was not very hard to explain the logic behind the birds either. ¡°Wu Yu has been attacked by those birds. You can tell from his wounds. So, do you think that man trained those birds?¡±


    ¡°If what you say is true and there¡¯s a certain connection there, then it might be possible.¡± Shen Shiyan put on his thinking face. ¡°Though, it is my first time hearing about birds attacking people. I¡¯ll have to find out more from Wu Yu later.¡±


    Both of us turned around simultaneously to look at Wu Yu. The wound on his head had been wrapped up, and the blood on his face had been cleaned off, revealing his handsome face. Suddenly, I felt somewhat sorry for him when I looked at the state he was in.

 Chapter 35: Tan Jiao 06 (2)

    Shen Shiyan and I went back to where everyone else was. ¡°Wu Yu, I told him about the birds.¡±


    Wu Yu nodded and replied with a simple alright, while Shen Shiya glanced at me without saying anything.


    I fixed my gaze on the back of Wu Yu¡¯s head. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡±


    The doctor beside him chimed in, ¡°How could it not hurt. It probably hurts more with the medicine I just applied. Young man, you should go to a hospital for a full examination. Trauma to the head can be potentially deadly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, doctor.¡±


    I felt somewhat uneasy all of a sudden, but Wu Yu looked at me and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really.¡±


    ¡°Better safe than sorry,¡± I mumbled before catching a ghost of a smile on Wu Yu¡¯s lips, which quickly faded away as he gave Shen Shiyan a look that had me somewhat worried.


    Shen Shiyan remained calm and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be quick with the questioning.¡± Then he proceeded to repeat his questions about the events that occurred tonight for Wu Yu. After recording Wu Yu¡¯s account, Shen Shiyan closed his small notepad and said, ¡°You two should go to a hospital. I will contact you if there¡¯s a need.¡±


    I was about to agree, but Wu Yu shot me a look that took me by surprise.


    Before I could figure out what he meant, he had already asked, ¡°Detective Shen, is there anything special about Zhu Zhihan? His family background?¡±


    Immediately, I became interested upon hearing that. Shen Shiyan thought about it for a while before shaking his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t noticed anything special for now, but I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± After pausing briefly, he asked, ¡°There¡¯s a kid named Zhao Ruixin among those kidnapped. He¡¯s around five and has a skinny appearance. Did the suspect do anything to him? Or did the kid seem special?¡±


    I was somewhat taken aback and looked toward Wu Yu, who answered, ¡°No. Zhao Ruixin and the two children were all curled up against the wall without receiving any special treatment.¡±


    Shen Shiyan put on a thinking face while staring blankly toward the sky.


    Meanwhile, Wu Yu looked toward me, and it was as though our minds became connected at that moment. I thought, Shen Shiyan has some important information, we mustn¡¯t let him go.


    ¡°Shiya, I think you guys should really do some digging into Zhu Zihan. There must be a reason for his treatment, perhaps even related to the suspect¡¯s motivation.¡±


    Shen Shiyan gave me a warm look as he nodded. ¡°Sure. You two must be tired after all that chaos. I¡¯ll be heading back to the station.¡±


    He¡¯s leaving already? Abruptly, Wu Yu said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bring us back to the police station for questioning after such a huge incident?¡±


    Shen Shiyan¡¯s eyes flicked over and looked toward him.


    My heart tensed up and looked at Wu Yu as well. This was my first time witnessing him taunting someone. Ah, I forgot he was previously a very purpose-driven engineer.


    The two men stared at each other without saying anything, causing the awkwardness in the air to become palpable. I felt like I had to say something to break up the stillness, so I picked up where Wu Yu left off and said with a more casual tone, ¡°Yeah. The last time we encountered that man, you guys brought us back to the police station for a marathon of questioning. Asking everything and anything related to it. Yet, you¡¯re not gonna do more questioning after such a huge revelation? Not only did we find the suspect and the abducted children, but we even located his hiding spot. You¡¯re just gonna let us go? This makes us feel somewhat worried.¡±


    I stood beside Wu Yu as I said that with a casual tone and a smile. Looking at Shen Shiyan¡¯s stern face, I suddenly felt like I¡¯ve become Wu Yu¡¯s accomplice, helping him bully this honest policeman.


    ¡°Did something more serious happen? Requiring more of your team¡¯s efforts? What has happened?¡± Wu Yu pressed him.


    I became somewhat curious. However, Shen Shiyan remained emotionless and calmly said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for you two to know more about the details. Farewell.¡±


    Immediately, I grabbed his arm and said, ¡°Shen Shiyan, Wu Yu and I are already deeply involved in this case. We helped prevent an abduction, and this time, Wu Yu even found the hiding place of the suspect. We are both victims of this case, and both of us became injured for the sake of these children. Do you really think it''s necessary to exclude us now? As I said before, if you provide us with the appropriate information, maybe we can recall even more information? We will only help you solve the case, and you know it. What happened to the child named Zhao Ruixin? Don¡¯t tell me something bad happened? We care, and we want to know!¡±


    Shen Shiyan turned around, looking at us briefly without saying anything. Finally, he said, ¡°Fine. I hope you two can keep this information to yourselves. This afternoon, Zhao Ruixin''s family received a call asking them to prepare three million Yuan to pay the ransom in two days. That''s all I can tell you. The police will deal with this. We have started working on a detailed action plan, in which we will take advantage of this opportunity to rescue the children and catch the criminal! It''s going to be very dangerous, so don''t get involved.¡±


    I became shocked before looking toward Wu Yu.

 Chapter 36: Tan Jiao 06 (3)

    On our way back, I drove while Wu Yu sat at the passenger side, resting without saying anything. He seemed tired. My mind could not help but think about the case as I cruised along the road and headed toward the city. When I finally came close to where Wu Yu stayed, he finally said, ¡°You can just let me off at the shop.¡±


    I did not say anything.


    After a while, I said, ¡°Even though this criminal seems like a madman, his every move seems methodical. He gives Zhu Zihan special treatment but uses Zhao Ruixin for the initial ransom, which completely goes against our analysis that he¡¯s not in it for the money. So what do you think his plan is?¡±


    A very heavy fog, that was the feeling I got from this case.


    After voicing my questions, I waited for his clear, husky voice to ring out. Yet, after a while, all I could hear from him was his drawn-out breathing. I turned to look and saw that he was already asleep.


    I stopped at a red light and fixed my gaze on him, especially those well-defined and impressive brows. Currently, he looked rather beat up, with his wrapped up head stained with blood and his clothes covered with dirt. However, I felt he had something in him that made me feel warm inside when I saw his similarly grimed hands that were placed on his thighs.


    As we cruised along the city streets with him sitting beside me, I felt joy even though I had never had any man sit beside me in my car.


    Since there were very few cars on the streets at night, I drove along steadily. I felt a sense of satisfaction when I saw Wu Yu sleeping soundly in the car with minimal sudden turns or jerks.


    When we finally arrived at the front of the shop, a closed shop without any lights greeted us, appearing cold at this late hour. Obviously, no one would be waiting for him here. Does he have any food to eat? Who would take care of him? How would he go to the hospital?


    As I thought about all of these problems, I looked at him for a brief moment before deciding to not wake him up. Instead, I continued to drive on.


    After a short drive, we arrived at the best hospital in our area. The well-lit emergency department felt somewhat welcoming for late-hour arrivals like us. I tapped his shoulder. ¡°Hey, wake up.¡±


    He opened his eyes abruptly, giving me the impression that he remains alert and tense even when asleep. After making out that we were in front of a hospital, he glanced at me and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to accompany me. Go back to rest,¡± he told me right as I was about to open the car door.


    I turned to him with a smile and said, ¡°Why would I burn my bridges?¡±


    He was briefly shocked before letting out a smile. ¡°Do all authors use idioms when talking?¡±


    I got down from the car, nodded, and said, ¡°Yeah, we use them appropriately when we need to. Come on then and stop wasting time.¡±


    Wu Yu did not say anything as we walked into the emergency department. ¡°I know how it feels to come to the hospital alone. I sometimes have to visit a hospital when I¡¯m sick, and I have to pay the fees, go around to do tests, and get an IV all by myself.¡±


    Wu Yu looked at me with a ghost of a smile on his lips. ¡°You ladies may need a companion, but what man would need someone to go with him to a hospital? Especially when it¡¯s for something small.¡±


    In response, I stood with my arms akimbo and said, ¡°You mean you don¡¯t need me here with you?¡± My heart raced immediately after saying that, thinking to myself that I had let my tongue run ahead of my brain.


    Yet, I kept my gaze on him.


    He seemed somewhat shocked and hesitant when he looked at me briefly. However, when we arrived at the counter, he acted as though he had heard nothing, taking out his wallet to pay for the registration.


    I felt somewhat relieved as if I had diffused a bomb, even though he had not replied to the comment I made. He was the kind of guy that would keep mute if it was something he did not want to talk about.

 Chapter 37: Wu Yu 06 (1)

    I have never gone to a hospital with a girl in the past and never would have thought that having Tan Jiao with me would be such a fun and somewhat troublesome experience.


    I explained briefly that I had fallen from a slope to the E.R doctor, but I received a look of disapproval from Tan Jiao. Then she proceeded to elaborate on the incident, even using gestures at some points. ¡°Doctor, it was this¡­ high of a slope. The ground was uneven with rocks and tree roots. After I found him, he was unconscious for at least five minutes.¡±


    The doctor was a young man with a friendly face. He became interested when he heard the explanation. ¡°Oh? That¡¯s how hard he fell? How did he fall?¡±


    I was about to say it was an accident to end this meaningless conversation, but Tan Jiao let out a sigh before pulling a chair to sit on beside me. ¡°Doctor, I can¡¯t tell you too much about this, but¡­ we were pursuing a criminal. He went after the criminal but ended up injuring himself.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Oh¡­ Turn around, let me check your wound.¡±


    Receiving the gaze of an attentive doctor and her sparkling eyes, I turned around speechlessly.


    She seemed somewhat different from when I first met her one year ago, where she seemed cheerful and happy while possessing an air of coldness and hostility. Now that I had spent some time with her, I found that her hostility was merely her protection against strangers.


    She was actually very warm, hospitable, and kind.


    After conducting a detailed check of my head wound, the doctor asked about my body reflexes. However, the questions were not directed at me, but at Tan Jiao. She answered all the questions in great detail, with at least a hundred words for each question. She described everything vividly with a measured cadence as though she was telling a story. An author she is.


    After that, the doctor told me to get a CT.


    Finally, I had some time alone as she could not follow me to the CT room, but her wide, sparkling eyes immediately greeted me when I came out. We sat outside the CT room, waiting for the result. After a while, she said out of nowhere, ¡°Everything will be fine.¡±


    I did not feel an ouch of worry for myself. Yet, when I turned to look at her, I was greeted by her unwavering and calm expression. Her thick, raven hair was hanging beside her peaches-and-cream face.


    Suddenly, I felt that what she said previously made some sense.


    Having a companion when visiting the hospital loads up the dry and dull moments with liveliness and vibrancy. As for whether I needed her with me, I only had one answer for her.


    We went back to the doctor with the CT report and found out that everything was fine. However, the doctor cautioned, ¡°Although the results of the scan are good at this moment, it''s hard to determine when an intracranial hemorrhage might happen. Even though there''s no bleeding now, that doesn''t mean it won''t appear sometime later. Therefore, for the next few days, you should carefully observe for signs of dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. If you spot something wrong, come to the hospital immediately.¡±


    Naturally, the doctor said this to Tan Jiao seemingly without recognizing my presence in the room. Sure enough, Tan Jiao put on a somewhat worried look after hearing that and muttered, ¡°While we were on our way to the hospital, he did pass out for a while.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± the doctor asked with a tensed face.


    ¡°Yes. Let me tell you¡­¡±


    ¡°Tan Jiao, it was because I was tired.¡± I had to interrupt them.


    ¡°Oh.¡± the two of them let out simultaneously.


    Then we left the hospital with me carrying the medicine and some miscellaneous items. As we left, I saw her holding the receipts in her hand with a gentle frown. She mumbled something as if she was calculating the amount spent. Soon, her eyes flicked over to me and said, ¡°Do you think we could get Shen Shiyan to reimburse you for your hospital bills?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s around four hundred Yuan and you¡¯re not¡­ making a lot of money.¡±


    The tone of my voice cooled down considerably as I asked, ¡°Why should we ask him for reimbursement?¡±


    ¡°You got injured because you were serving the public. Shouldn¡¯t the police be responsible for your medical treatments?¡± she said with a sense of righteousness.


    I replied stubbornly, ¡°There¡¯s no need. Don¡¯t look for him.¡±


    Tan Jiao pouted her lips briefly and said nothing, probably because she sensed my unenthusiastic attitude.


    Her thinking is too simple. Ask Shen Shiyan for reimbursement? Am I still a man if I do that?

 Chapter 38: Wu Yu 06 (2)

    ¡°It¡¯s not far from the shop here, so I¡¯ll head back now. You should go back to rest too. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡± I told her after leaving the hospital grounds. However, she seemed hesitant to reply.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come over to my place? You have no one to look after you at the shop, and it¡¯s a noisy place. Not to mention you¡¯ll be put to work when the sun comes up. My place is just around here. You can sleep in the guest room. This way, we can discuss the case at any time. We¡¯re at a critical moment now, so it¡¯s best if we are careful and stay together.¡±


    I felt something gently hitting my heart when I heard her say that we should stay together, even if it was unintentional.


    I was speechless for a while. Seeing this, she smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±


    Suddenly, I felt somewhat awkward about it, so I smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll be fine at the shop. You can call me if you find something new.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I looked at her speechlessly.


    Her eyes flickered up at me with a sliver of concern. ¡°There¡¯s another reason I feel somewhat embarrassed to tell you. I told you about the mysterious person that broke into my home and left me a letter, right? Now that so many things have happened, I am actually quite terrified. So, could you come to my place?¡±


    It was already late into the night, and the thick clouds covered the stars in the sky. We stood under a streetlight with a yellowish glow while I fixed my gaze on her eyes that seemed to be hiding a dark, warm lake with gentle ripples.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. She let out a smile promptly.


    I could not understand what her smile meant and did not want to think about it either.


    Her home was similar to what I had imagined. A cozy two-room apartment that was somewhat messy but still at an acceptable level. There were books and snacks pretty much everywhere. She grabbed a pair of men¡¯s slippers from the cupboard and said, ¡°These are my dad¡¯s. Here you go. My parents came to stay with me for a while previously. Are you alright with wearing my dad¡¯s clothes to bed?¡±


    Naturally, I accepted her offer.


    ¡°Do you still have your mother¡¯s homebrewed plum wine?¡±


    She let out a smile and said, ¡°You want some? Unfortunately, plum wine doesn¡¯t last in my hands. I¡¯ll bring you some the next she makes some.¡±


    I accepted her offer once more.


    The furnishings of the guest room were relatively simple with only a bed and a wardrobe. Several of her books were scattered on the bay window. She placed her father¡¯s clothes on the bed. ¡°Your fashion sense is similar to my dad¡¯s. He likes to wear tank tops as well in the summer. Here.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I dress like an elderly?¡± I said while picking up the soft cotton tank top.


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t seen a lot of young people wearing tank tops.¡±


    ¡°I wear it to stay cool while working.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She paused briefly before she said, ¡°I saw you wearing a tank top as well, the first time I visited the shop.¡±


    She said it casually, yet I found every inch of her facial features particularly delicate and attractive under the light at night.


    ¡°You have a clear memory of it?¡± I realized what I had said when I heard myself.


    She turned the other way and said nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯m just saying. You should go shower.¡±


    Following her advice, I stood inside a small bathtub. I held a showerhead as I washed away the blood and stains on my body, trying my best not to touch the wound on my head. As the warm water washed away the fatigue, it also brought warmth and a sense of calmness to me. I even had a quick soak in the tub with a hot cloth covering my face.


    Turns out I had not had such a relaxing and comfortable bath for a year now, and I almost fell asleep in the tub until she knocked on the door from the outside. ¡°Wu Yu, I forgot to tell you that the towel is under the basin. The blue one is clean.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Deep in my mind, I suddenly thought, I had looked forward to such a life in the past¡ªa life I expected after graduating and getting a job, having a sufficiently good house and a woman to cherish.


    She would help me with laundry, make me food, and advise me on what was good or bad. She would even prepare my towel after I had taken a hot shower. As for myself, I would give my all to care for and love her as the two of us lived our happy and quiet lives. She would be kind to my mother and Wu Miao. Previously, I supported the family on my own, handling everything. In the future, there would be an additional her.


    ¡­¡­


    I covered myself with a towel I grabbed from the cupboard underneath the basin. My still heart felt like ripples were spreading out in it.

 Chapter 39: Wu Yu 06 (3)

    I slept rather well that night at her home. The only exception was around dawn, where I felt someone at the room¡¯s door a few times. I knew more or less it was her checking on me because she was concerned. For some reason, her presence caused me to sleep even deeper. I did not open my eyes until the sun outside was so bright that the deep-colored curtains could not block the light anymore. Immediately, a pleasing aroma greeted me.


    I walked out of the room and saw Tan Jiao in the kitchen with a white top and floral mini skirt shielded by an apron in the front. She was pan-frying some eggs and tending to a pot of steaming hot porridge on the stove.


    Her pale, straight legs caught my attention again, but she looked like an honorable lady with the cute outfit she had on.


    I leaned against the entrance to the kitchen and looked at her quietly, but she still heard the sound of my movements and turned around with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Food will be ready soon. Go wash up, I bought a one-time use toothbrush and a new towel for you.¡±


    After washing my face, I returned to the entrance to the kitchen. For some reason, I did not want to leave the entrance that I was leaning on as I watched her. She took some pickled vegetables from a jar after she finished pan-frying the eggs. Then she glanced at me and asked, ¡°Why are you just standing there? Go take a seat, the food is ready.¡±


    ¡°Have you always been so good at taking care of people?¡± I heard myself asking.


    She let out a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken, I¡¯ve never taken care of anyone before.¡±


    The two of us fell into a lull in the kitchen as the clinking of the pot of boiling porridge filled the air.


    I had no idea what I was hoping for or what I was after when I heard myself asking in a tender tone, ¡°So this is your first time?¡±


    A faint cherry red glow gradually covered her ears. ¡°Yeah, so?¡± She answered softly before turning away with the small plate of pickled vegetables. ¡°Come eat.¡±


    The two of us sat at the dining table. I held the bowl of porridge in my hand, shoving the porridge down. I would take a few bites of the crisp and sour pickled vegetables here and there, enjoying the tastiest food I have ever had. Meanwhile, she did not seem to be eating well, as she had her head low, never looking up at me.


    However, our accomplishments were rather impressive, finishing off the small pot of porridge. She had one serving of porridge and an egg, while I had triple that amount and the rest of the pickled vegetables she had taken out. She looked at me blankly while holding the empty pot and asked, ¡°Do all men¡­ eat this much?¡±


    ¡°I am more hungry today.¡±


    ¡°You do the washing up then,¡± she said with her beaming face.


    I was in a good mood as well and did not object to her request.


    Noon soon came around with the sun hanging high in the air, shining down on us and lighting up the kitchen exceptionally well. I stood in front of the sink, scrubbing the plates before hearing the TV in the living room come on. I turned to find her hugging a pillow as she sat on the sofa barefooted with a somewhat lazy and blank look on her face. Clear eyes, delicate nose, ruddy lip, and long and graceful legs. Enjoying this picturesque scene from afar for a considerable amount of time, I felt as though something in my heart had been filled up before abruptly feeling a sense of emptiness again.


    It was all because of this woman.


    The door rang, and Tan Jiao went to open it. Soon, I heard the deep voice of a lady. ¡°Da Zhu, I came here to tell you about some interesting clues I¡¯ve discovered.¡±


    It¡¯s her author friend, Zhuang Yu. So this is how her friends refer to her? I felt that the nickname was not good enough. Even though they had strange tempers, these graceful authors liked to use basic nicknames to address each other.


    [TL note: The "Da" in Da Zhu means big, which is why this nickname sounds crude to Wu Yu].


    ¡°Is someone else in? Did you hire a cleaner?¡± Zhuang Yu asked as she heard the noise from the kitchen.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    I went out after washing the last plate and drying my wet hands. The gazes from the two ladies greeted me.

 Chapter 40: Wu Yu 06 (4)

    Did all of Tan Jiao¡¯s friends have overly expressive faces? Within seconds, a myriad of expressions flashed across Zhuang Yu¡¯s face. Ultimately, an expression containing a sliver of strange and secret delight appeared as she sneaked a peek at us. ¡°Sorry for the interrupting.¡±


    Tan Jiao, who seemed thick-skinned at times but sensitive at others, almost instantly explained, ¡°Zhuang Yu, don¡¯t let your imaginations run wild! He was injured yesterday, so I brought him back here to take care of him more easily. He slept in the guest room. Plus, we still need to discuss the case.¡±


    The odd expression still lingered on Zhuang Yu¡¯s face as she nodded and said, ¡°Oh, take care of him more easily.¡±


    Suddenly, I felt that this somewhat abnormal lady seemed more tolerable.


    The three of us sat down with me sitting beside Tan Jiao. Zhuang Yu sitting across from us cleared her throat purposefully as if to clear the non-existent air of awkwardness before she said, ¡°Da Zhu, didn¡¯t you tell me to look into if there¡¯s anything special about Zhu Zhihan? Well, since they lived around the area where Xiaohao lived, I went to do some digging. You know my mind has always been sharp and detailed, so when I did a little digging, I found an interesting piece of information. Hear me out, the head of the household is Zhu Zhihan¡¯s grandfather¡ªZhu Fengxian. He ran a small store in the past and had three children; the eldest son is Zhu Boyu, the second son Zhu Zhongling is Zhu Zhihan¡¯s father, and finally, the youngest daughter is Zhu Jirui¡ªunmarried but currently engaged. The eldest son is 40 this year, the second is 35, while the daughter is 23. Don¡¯t you think their age difference is somewhat fishy?¡±


    After giving it a moment of thought, Tan Jiao said, ¡°Bo, Zhong, Shu, Ji. If he is using this Chinese idiom, then he¡¯s missing Shu. Plus, the age difference between Zhong and Ji is relatively significant.¡±


    [TL note: ²®ÖÙÊå¼¾, a Chinese idiom¡ªPinyin Bo, Zhong, Shu, Ji¡ªwhich means the order of brothers. Bo is the eldest, Zhong is the second, Shu is the third, and Ji is the youngest.]


    She¡¯s sharp-witted.


    Zhuang Yu smacked her thigh out of excitement and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! I also felt something was fishy about that. Coincidentally, Xiaohao¡¯s grandmother used to work at the neighborhood committee and recalled that the Zhu family had lost a child in the past. It happened a long time ago, and the child¡¯s name and information have been removed. Some say the child died from an illness, some say he was abducted. There were even some that said that child was abandoned because he was ill. I don¡¯t know the exact reason. I¡¯m not sure if this is the special reason you are looking for, but this is the most I got.¡±


    Seriousness filled Tan Jiao¡¯s face as she looked at Zhuang Yu. ¡°Goddess Yu, you did very well.¡± Then turned to me and said, ¡°They lost a child twenty or thirty years ago, and now, they¡¯ve lost a child again. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I know that his ransom request to Zhao Ruixin¡¯s family is definitely out of his usual pattern, and it doesn¡¯t make sense either. However, the sudden change of events is forcing the police to focus more of their resources onto Zhao Ruixin¡¯s family. What if this was all a ruse? Then his real purpose is¡­¡±


    I did not need to finish my sentence before Tan Jiao met my gaze and asked, ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Zhu family.¡±


    Zhu Zhihan¡¯s home was a self-built four-story building that seemed somewhat old. Evidently, the Zhu family was not extremely wealthy. According to Zhuang Yu¡¯s investigation, Zhu Fengxian¡¯s wife passed away not long after giving birth to their daughter. The eldest son of the Zhu family was stationed in another province, while the daughter lived on her own. As such, Zhu Fengxian and his second son currently occupied the house. Zhu Zhihan was the only grandchild of Zhu Fengxian.


    I parked the car on the road across and intently watched the building with Tan Jiao. Zhuang Yu left after staying for a while because she still had exams at night, claiming that nothing in the world was more important than exams.


    ¡°What do you think we¡¯ll see here?¡± Tan Jiao asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But if the Zhu family is that man¡¯s target and the other abductions were merely distractions, then he would surely contact the Zhu family in these few days.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    She had her thinking face on and those focused yet sparkling eyes, which made her seem totally different from her cute, rabbit-like demeanor at home.


    That said, the next second she made herself comfortable and said, ¡°I should have downloaded some shows if I knew we were going to do a stakeout. Police work is really boring.¡±


    I could not help but let out a chuckle.

 Chapter 41: Wu Yu 06 (5)

    ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Nothing. You can go do something else. I can stay here to keep a lookout.¡±


    She obviously seemed interested yet somewhat unsure. ¡°Okay then. But, you¡¯re still injured¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already wash the dishes?¡±


    She let out a titter while gazing at me with her beautiful, sparkling eyes. She beamed like a full bloom flower under the sun as she got out of the car. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll heed your advice and go for a short walk around the neighborhood. After all, I need to keep my mind sharp so that we don¡¯t overlook the big picture.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Keep up the good work.¡±


    She covered her mouth and smiled again, looking very happy. Simultaneously, a vague and unfamiliar sense of joy filled my heart as well.


    There was no activity at the Zhu family¡¯s residence. However, several people could be seen gathered in the living room through a window covered by a curtain.


    Not long after, Tan Jiao appeared outside the driver¡¯s side of the car while holding two ice cream. I rolled down the window for her serious face to greet me. ¡°I think you¡¯ll like tiramisu favor.¡±


    A mild headache struck me as I thought about the fact that I had never had anything like this and never really liked sweet foods. As I grew up in a poor family, we did not have the money to buy such things. Even if there were occasional purchases, they were for Wu Miao. She would act in a similar manner to Tan Jiao, holding the ice cream in her hand while eating away happily. The only difference being that Wu Miao seemed to cherish it and would look exceptionally happy, while Tan Jiao seemed calm with a hint of joy on her face.


    ¡°Are you able to finish two by yourself?¡±


    Tan Jiao let out a piteous whimper before adamantly putting the ice cream in front of me. ¡°Are you trying to make me gain weight?¡± I had no choice but to take it and eat while she stood outside the car, leaning against the door as she gulped down large mouthfuls of ice cream.


    ¡°Is it good?¡± she asked while leaning on the car window facing me.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Everything around us was quiet with only a gentle breeze blowing by. Unwittingly, our bodies became close as her arm leaned next to mine on the car window. Her face was only inches away from mine. The afterglow of the setting sun illuminating her delicate face. A touch of unmelted cream remained on her glossy lips as she looked at me with her glistening eyes.


    ¡°Mine¡¯s tasty as well.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± I heard myself asking.


    ¡°Oh.¡± She looked at me before placing the ice cream in front of me. ¡°You want a taste?¡±


    I said nothing, only fixing my gaze on that touch of cream on her lips as I abruptly felt dryness in my throat.


    She said nothing either as if she had not noticed anything. However, those glistening eyes of hers seemed to have something flash by.


    This moment felt like the afterglow of a summer¡¯s evening, warm and tranquil with a hint of sweetness and smoothness of ice cream similar to her fragrance. That moment felt like an odd splash of color amid darkness to me. Although there were many secrets and dangers lying ahead of us and a blood feud I had yet to resolve, she had once again appeared in my life.


    I had never thought about love before she came into my life, yet what did the current me possess to seize the woman in front of my eyes?


    ¡°Someone came out,¡± I turned to the side and said.


    The look in her eyes changed as she followed my gaze. She had lowered her hand holding the ice cream at some point in time. The gate of Zhu¡¯s residence a few meters away had opened, with several people coming out. There were old and young, men and women, with a total of five people. They were probably Zhu Fengxian, Zhu Zhongling, Zhu Zhongling''s wife, as well as the youngest daughter and her fiance.


    All of them looked tense and remained mute, and the eyes of Zhu Zhihan¡¯s mother were even red and watery. The bunch boarded a car and left.


    ¡°Get in,¡± I said.


    Tan Jiao quickly entered the car. Then I started the car to tail them. The little episode between us was temporarily behind us, those thoughts vanishing from my mind as I focused my gaze ahead. Tan Jiao had a serious look as well. It was like that little episode just now was merely a figment of my imagination. Putting on a thinking face, she asked, ¡°Where are they going?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the weekend, so why would the family gather at home, not go to work, and wait until evening to go somewhere together?¡±


    The corner of Tan Jiao¡¯s mouth quirked up as she said, ¡°Because the fox is finally showing itself. He¡¯s luring his prey into his lair.¡±

 Chapter 42: Tan Jiao 07 (1)

    He was teasing me.


    He was absolutely teasing me.


    Otherwise, why would he stay mute and seem hesitant when I asked him if he did not need me to accompany him to the hospital? Why would he ask me if it was my first time taking care of someone with his peculiarly husky voice while standing behind me?


    When we were having ice cream, those eyes of his that were fixed on me, seemingly focused and sinful as if suppressing something that was on the brink of exploding.


    The car cruised along the winding road up the hill. The peaceful twilight enveloped the endless greenery surrounding us. Currently, my heart was tense like a twisted rope.


    The man beside me was focused on driving. He seeme to be pondering about the development of the case without saying a word. I obviously knew that now was not the time to think about such things, yet he was like a gleaming body of electricity that I could no longer ignore.


    Sure, I could be overanalyzing it. Come to think of it, the things he said actually seemed fairly normal. What got to me was his gaze, his appearance, and all that indescribable, unclear, romancing exchange. Yet, it was exactly because it was unclear that I could not be sure. What if I were just imagining things?


    The restlessness and chaos lasted until Wu Yu stopped the car, which brought me back to reality. It felt like I had just woken up from a dream.


    ¡°What are you thinking about? It¡¯s like your mind went on a journey,¡± he asked.


    ¡°How do you know I was thinking about something?¡± I asked quizzically.


    I followed his brief glance to my dress and found that my hands were clenching it, causing it to totally wrinkle. ¡°F*ck!¡± I promptly relaxed my hands and straightened my dress.


    ¡°Okay, it looks good now.¡±


    His comment injected a hint of sweetness into my heart. However, he remained focused ahead with a stern look as he shut off the engine.


    Fantastic! Why did I have to become a romance novelist? Now that I¡¯m in actual combat, my imaginative mind has already brought me to cloud nine without him saying or doing anything romantic!


    At the end of a snaky road, the Zhu family finally stopped their car at the entrance to a hill. There was no road up the hill, only a narrow dirt path that the Zhu family took after exiting the car.


    ¡°We¡¯ll look for another way up and get up there quicker,¡± Wu Yu said.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°So as to avoid that man and those birds.¡±


    He¡¯s pretty smart, not the type to be taken advantage of twice. Oh, he¡¯s truly a combination of brains and brawn. Perfection.


    ¡­ Ugh, what am I thinking about?


    Sure enough, we found another road. Unfortunately, weed and thistles filled it. Wu Yu was fast-footed after he said to get there quicker. He practically used those thistles to rush up without caring about the thorns at all. It was as if his skin was nine-inch thick, feeling nothing. Yet, he turned around to give me a hand when he noticed my soft exclamations of pain. I held onto his warm hands while my heart felt like a swing set gently being pushed. When we arrived at a difficult area, he would naturally support my waist to help me up. Sometimes, he would even sweep me off my feet. This whole time, he said nothing, only fixing his gaze onto me. His calm and deep eyes seemed to have something behind them.


    Soon, we found them.


    A patch of tall weeds and a narrow path covered with leaves laid ahead of us. We crouched behind the weed. Wu Yu placed his hand onto my shoulder as if I worried him a lot. Even though I felt underestimated, I did not shake his hand off me.


    The Zhu family appeared.


    Zhu Zhihan¡¯s father, Zhu Zhongling, walked in the front with Zhu Jirui¡¯s fiance, Yan Yuan. Behind them were Zhu Xianfeng, Zhu Zhihan¡¯s mother, and Zhu Jirui.


    Initially, I felt that them not informing the police they had received information from that man was suspicious. However, after giving it some thought, I felt it was possible that the man had threatened to kill the child if they notified the police. And, they probably felt less afraid with the whole family coming here.


    Hold on, why did he ask the entire Zhu family to come here?


    A phrase that Wu Yu said previously popped into my mind, It must be love or hate.

 Chapter 43: Tan Jiao 07 (2)

    According to the case files and the information Zhuang Yu gathered, Zhu Fengxian still ran a small mart, while his wife who passed away used to be a primary school teacher. Bitter and frail, the old man seemed to have a certain hatred for people. Currently, he had a worried look in his eyes. Usually, such an elderly man would have great authority in the family.


    Zhu Zhongling was an average office worker. From his appearance, he seemed like an honest middle-aged man. Although he was not necessarily smart, he definitely had that strict look similar to his father. His wife was a cashier at a supermarket, a chubby middle-aged woman with a round face, messy hair, pointed brow, and teary eyes.


    Zhu Jirui was a bank teller. She looked decent, but her fiance, Yan Yuan, had even better features. Even though he could not be considered handsome, his tall figure did give him a dashing look. It was said that he ran a decent-sized company. While he was not super rich, he was definitely considered well off in the city of Dali.


    The couple each had a diamond ring on their ring fingers, so it was evident that they had a good relationship. When Zhu Jirui reached her hand out for help, Yan Yuan would help her. He would even help the other Zhu family members.


    As for why we had not informed the police? Wu Yu and I had discussed it on our way here. First, we wanted to have clear evidence before notifying Shen Shiyan to quash their doubts. Secondly, we did not want to alert the perpetrator.


    After they walked ahead, Wu Yu got up slowly with me mirroring his movements closely. We hid behind the trees as we followed them.


    Finally, it was dark.


    The hill was eerily quiet at night as if it was haunted. The blowing wind caused the trees to rustle. Illumination was non-existent, so the Zhu family had to use their torchlights. As they walked slowly, the cries of Zhu Zhihan¡¯s mother echoed in the air with the occasional ¡®Shhh¡¯ from her husband. The rings on Zhu Jirui and Yan Yuan¡¯s fingers would sparkle occasionally, vaguely reflecting the lights from their torchlights.


    How foolish can they be, not taking off their rings at such an occasion? Wait a minute¡­ Why do I feel like something is amiss?


    When we were too close behind the Zhu family, Wu Yu placed his hand on my arm, signaling for me to slow down. The two of us crouched down between the little space between the tall weeds. Without much space, my head ended up pressing against Wu Yu¡¯s chest. His stable heartbeat pulsated through my eardrums. I felt his arm around my waist and his gaze upon me in this soundless zone. Yet, the silence made everything feel unreal.


    ¡°How will he deal with them?¡± I asked under my breath.


    His husky voice became even lower as he answered, ¡°He¡¯ll probably set a trap to subdue them all at once. Are you scared?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    He fixed his gaze on me while the hand wrapped around my waist became tensed. An involuntary shiver spread through my body from where he placed hand. I heard my breathing become shorter and shorter.


    I moved ever so slightly, unwittingly touching his finger with mine. A slight touch that was almost ticklish. Then he abruptly grabbed my hand and placed it on his thigh.


    My heart thumped against my chest wildly as I thought, What is he doing? I told myself he was merely protecting me and trying to comfort me. I could not clearly see his face because it was dark, but he seemed calm. Contrary to him, I felt something I could not explain. It was as though the blood coursing through my capillaries in my fingers were also intertwined with his rough hands. It created a seemingly tranquil feeling that shook me to my core.


    At that moment, an unforeseen event occured!


    I heard screams from up ahead, yet when I turned toward the narrow path in front of us shrouded in darkness, the entire Zhu family had vanished into thin air! Wu Yu¡¯s grip on my hand became tight at this moment, signaling for me to stay low and quiet.


    I fixed my gaze ahead. Soon, I noticed rays of light from torchlights coming out of the ground, shining frantically into the tree canopy. At the same time, screams of pain filled the air.


    There was a deep pit ahead! Layers upon layers of sticks and leaves covered it. And the Zhu family had fallen into it! As Wu Yu previously said, the man had set a trap. This was unthinkable, but it was the most efficient and smart thing for him to do since he was outnumbered.

 Chapter 44: Tan Jiao 07 (3)

    Hold on.


    He is hunting down the family in the dead of night in the hills, lying in wait and observing them like prey. He created countless diversions and smokescreens to execute this perfect plan.


    What does he plan to do next?


    Since the Zhu family were still crying out in pain, there were probably animal traps or wooden spikes set up in the pit. I felt chills almost penetrating my heart, and a layer of cold sweat formed on my skin. Currently, nothing but the wailing from the Zhu family surrounded us.


    Then, what was bound to appear finally appeared.


    Innumerable birds like a horde of dark spirits entered this forest from all directions, landing beside the pit and on tree branches. They flapped their wings in a flurry of motion as if they were summoning something with excitement and aggression at the same time.


    I buried my head as low as possible since the scene was incredibly terrifying. It was unimaginable to me how Wu Yu managed to take on these ferocious yet bizarre birds in a fight. I laid low in the grass and felt safe with Wu Yu¡¯s hand on my shoulder even though he had let go of my hand.


    Finally, that man appeared with the raspy welcoming calls from the birds.


    He must be controlling these birds. It¡¯s true! It¡¯s not a figment of our imagination. From that night onwards, I began to witness all sorts of supernatural phenomena.


    A silly grin still hung on his face. He still had on those dirty clothes from that night; perhaps he had not changed. He carried a child in one hand and an oil lamp in the other. We did not know if the child, Zhu Zhihan, was alive or not since he was motionless.


    ¡°Y-you people¡­ have arrived,¡± he said with a stutter as he came before the pit, placing the oil lamp down and looking down at the Zhu family.


    A wave of screams echoed from the pit as the Zhu family saw their child in the man¡¯s arms. He let out a chuckle and said, ¡°It-it¡¯s fine, he¡¯s just asleep. I gave him some... some sleeping pills. Noisy¡­ He was too noisy!¡±


    I let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that.


    A quivering voice sounded, ¡°What are you trying to do? We brought the ten thousand Yuan you requested and did not notify the police. So let us and the child go!¡± The voice seemed to be Zhu Zhihan¡¯s father, Zhu Zhongling.


    ¡°T-throw all your mobile phones up. I don¡¯t want¡­ you calling the police now.¡± His face became serious. ¡°Or else¡­ I¡¯ll kill the child here and now.¡±


    Sure enough, the Zhu family was under the man¡¯s complete control, and there was no way for them to resist. As a result, they threw their phones up one by one. Then the man kicked the phones aside, and the birds swiftly picked them away.


    ¡°Honestly, I have no interest in money¡­¡± The man pulled out a three-inch knife and pointed it at the child while grinning. ¡°I want to kill him.¡±


    A burst of wailing came from the pit.


    ¡°Inform Shen Shiyan.¡± Wu Yu murmured next to my ears, his lips slightly grazing my ears. Once more, an involuntary shiver ran through my ears down my neck to everywhere else.


    I turned my face away from his and slowly got my phone out. Using my arm to block the light, I sent him our location before sending a message as well: the culprit is here with Zhu Zhihan and the entire Zhu family.


    All that we could do now was wait, as I had no idea when Shen Shiyan would arrive.


    I turned my face in the dark, and my lips seemingly touched Wu Yu¡¯s face. He did not move as if I had felt nothing.


    ¡°When should we save them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We can¡¯t beat him right now. Let¡¯s wait.¡±


    The screams and cries from the Zhu family did nothing to the man, who only stood beside the pit as he looked down at them impassively. He appeared to be unconcerned. Then he laid the child on the ground and said, ¡°T-there is a way¡­ to save him.¡±


    He brandished the knife and added, ¡°P-pick three among yourselves to¡­ take t-three stabs from me.¡±


    He let out a grin and continued, ¡°Then I will let you all go. How¡¯s that?¡±


    The Zhu family members fell into silence.


    My heart dropped. I knew that something was about to happen.

 Chapter 46: Wu Yu 07 (1)

    Soon, an overall picture of the matter formed in my mind.


    The perpetrator must be Zhu Shuyun.


    Zhu Shuyun was abducted twenty-five years ago when he was five years old. Since he was mentally handicapped and the Zhu family had many children, according to him, the Zhu family had quickly given up on him after a brief search.


    Ultimately, he joined a group of thieves and became a master thief. Now, he was coming back now to exact his revenge on the family that left him.


    He abducted four children, including his nephew, Zhu Zhihan, from the area he grew up in. Perhaps like what Tan Jiao said, he had abducted so many children for the sake of companions, or perhaps it was just a diversion.


    By sending out the terms of ransom to another family, he was able to manipulate the police. Simultaneously, he secretly communicated with the Zhu family, luring them out to this hill and trapping them.


    The mental torture and toying with the Zhu family¡¯s emotionsÒ»first, he threatened the child¡¯s life, then he suggested stabbing three people, and finally, he let them choose one to dieÒ»was nothing more than his vengeance and test for them.


    In the end, the Zhu family failed the test, as none of them were willing to sacrifice themselves for the child. As such, Zhu Shuyun sentenced them to death.


    I believe this was what Zhu Shuyun wanted from the start: to kill his family members. Everything else was merely torture.


    What shocked me next was the fact that Zhu Shuyun had pulled out a handgun. It was a forty-six that looked old yet impeccably clean.


    It was not preposterous for someone with his background to acquire a firearm, but this also meant the end of the line for the Zhu family. When I looked at the messy-haired man crouched beside the pit with a gleeful smile on his face, I could not help but let out a bitter smile and think, How can he be mentally handicapped? Everything he has done was perfectly planned and executed.


    Screams sounded from the pit as soon as Zhu Shuyun raised the gun in his hand. His smile turned silly as he asked, ¡°So¡­ where should we start? F-father, brother, sister-in-law, or sister?¡±


    Zhu Xianfeng was the first to speak out with his quivering and astonished voice, ¡°Shuyun? You¡¯re Shuyun? You¡¯re mistaken, we¡¯ve always been looking for you! It¡¯s just that we couldn¡¯t find you! Your mother and I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d still be alive! You can¡¯t kill your family!¡±


    For a brief moment, Zhu Shuyun widened his eyes and fixed his gaze as if in a trance. Then he shook his head violently. ¡°You lie! Y-you¡­ snake! You think I¡­ don¡¯t know? I was abducted on the 15th of August 1992 in front of a shop. You looked for me¡­ for t-three days before telling m-mother to give up on me. You told her that I¡¯m d-dumb and was a liability. M-mother was reluctant, so y-you beat her¡­ m-many times. T-that¡¯s why s-she passed away¡­


    ¡°I, I was forced to be a thief, a beggar. Every day I was punished and beat. I managed to escape when I was ten, but when I found you¡­ I said, father, I¡¯m your son. You recognized me. Y-you recognized me! But y-you chased me away! I knew in those eyes of yours, that look¡­¡±


    Only Zhu Shuyun¡¯s seemingly laughing and sobbing voice filled the air as tears rolled down from his eyes.


    ¡°Zhu Shuyun suffered so much¡­ Zhu Shuyun was so pitiful¡­¡± he muttered.


    I felt somewhat conflicted. His father, Zhu Fengxian, was indeed deplorable, as he had heartlessly abandoned his son twice just because he was mentally handicapped. Yet, I also felt that something was off with what Zhu Shuyun said and thought, How can he know so much when he left the Zhu family at a young age and for so long?

 Chapter 47: Wu Yu 07 (2)

    I had no time to think, and an impulse that felt like a cold flame overfilled my heart.


    Zhu Fengxian must not know that there were people in the world willing to give anything to get their loved ones back yet could not. I would give anything to have them back. Even if they were ill or injured, I would bear the heaviest burdens just to have them beside me.


    Lowering my face, I saw Tan Jiao¡¯s calm eyes that looked sad as well.


    The impulse in my heart abruptly subsided upon this sight. Perhaps I should stay away from her¡­ so that I don¡¯t lose her. But she¡¯s trapped in this mystery as well¡­ I should protect her.


    While these thoughts flashed across my mind, Zhu Shuyun¡¯s voice sounded again; ¡°I have nothing¡­ and I want nothing but to k-kill you all¡­ All that a-abandoned me. That¡­ lady b-boss of that store who promised m-mother to look after me, went to play cards¡­ I¡¯ve k-killed her and Xiaolong. Brother Xiaolong who was playing with me ran away when I got abducted¡­ He¡¯s dead as well. When I kill you lot¡­ Zhu Shuyun will be free from hatred and become h-happy.¡±


    He has already killed two people? I thought to myself after comprehending his stuttery speech.


    Tan Jiao gently pulled on my shirt abruptly before muttering, ¡°I¡¯ve seen news articles about those two people.¡±


    Raising my face, I saw that Zhu Shuyun had aimed the handgun at the Zhu family with a stern look on his face. I can¡¯t watch on as he kills someone. I promised myself that I wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to die in front of me.


    I lowered my voice to carefully instruct Tan Jiao to not come out no matter what. However, as soon as I said that, she grabbed onto my shirt and shook her head as if her life depended on it. I let out a smile before comforting her. ¡°Stay here, great author. I must stop him. I can¡¯t allow the innocent to die in front of me. Let me go.¡±


    She gradually relaxed her hands as she gazed at me with a bitter and somewhat unwilling smile on her face. I must admit that I liked that understanding look from her.


    I grabbed a rock and sprang up from the ground, rushing toward Zhu Shuyun. Perhaps he was intoxicated from the high of the excitement, so he completely failed to notice me. Although the birds around the area noticed me and quickly flapped their wings and called out, it was too late.


    With only two or three steps, I was already close enough to strike Zhu Shuyun on the head. Unfortunately, the latter snapped his head around in shock at the critical moment. He took a step back, causing the strike to only graze his head before landing heavily on his chest. A cry of shock echoed from the pit as Zhu Shuyun fell to the ground and aimed the gun at me. I instinctively ducked down. Simultaneously, I heard a loud Bang! right beside me.


    I was not hit, but my heart was pounding in my ear, accompanied by a ring. Grabbing his hand that held the gun, I tussled with him for the gun vigorously.


    The birds came at me soon after and pecked at my face and hands. Although I was able to catch Zhu Shuyun off guard and injure him, I had lost that advantage now that the birds were attacking me.


    At some point in time, Tan Jiao had run out to help me. I realized this when I noticed the birds abruptly leaving Zhu Shuyun and I. From the corner of my eye, I saw a person wearing a blue camisole top. They had a T-shirt wrapped around their head with a gap just enough for their eyes. It was an extremely funny scene.


    She held an oil lamp with her left hand while swinging a stick dramatically, attracting almost all of the birds to her in an instant like a swarm of bees. Then she threw the oil lamp to the ground ahead at the very last moment, creating a wall of flame instantly. The birds scatter in all directions, terrified.


    Immediately, my heart brimmed with a warm feeling. She was smart to use the fire and was impressive to have decisively taken action to help me. After all, she was only a delicate girl.

 Chapter 48: Wu Yu 07 (3)

    The barrel of a gun stared down at me as I became briefly distracted. My mind blanked as I went all out, grabbing Zhu Shuyun¡¯s arm and twisting it toward him. Amidst the chaos, I heard the cracking of bones and flickers of fear, anguish, confusion, and realization flash before Zhu Shuyun¡¯s eyes.


    Bang!


    I became dumbfounded and noticed a small bloody hole in Zhu Shuyun¡¯s chest when I looked down the next second. The latter had probably pulled the trigger before he realized the gun was aiming at himself. I kicked the gun away from Zhu Shuyun¡¯s strengthless hand before promptly rolling my tank top to press on the gunshot wound.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead! He¡¯s dead!¡± yelled someone from the pit. Simultaneously, as if the birds had realized this fact as well, they quickly took to the air before vanishing from our sights.


    Tan Jiao stood in a daze behind me before she plopped to the ground after some time. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Cries of help echoed from the pit as the Zhu family pleaded, ¡°Please help us! Please come quick!¡±


    With cries from the Zhu family and the accompanying faint sounds of police sirens filling the air, I looked at the pale and motionless Zhu Shuyun. His life force seemed to be fading away before my eyes. ¡°Stay with me! Tell me, where did the birds come from? Why do they listen to you?¡±


    Zhu Shuyun listlessly opened his half-closed eyes and said in a weak voice, ¡°B-birds...someone gave me.¡±


    ¡°Who gave them to you?¡±


    ¡°C-can¡¯t¡­ tell you.¡±


    ¡°Was it you that gave Tan Jiao the letter?¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t know. What¡­ letter? T-Tan Jiao¡­ who...?¡± Zhu Shuyun¡¯s voice faded as his eyes rolled back. He seemed to have passed out, and his breathing had become weak. I turned to Tan Jiao, fixing my gaze on her jet black eyes that reflected the dancing flames. I figured she must have heard my exchange with Zhu Shuyun.


    Shortly after, I heard the sounds of footsteps as the police arrived.


    I was held in the police station for one night and a day. Then finally released me when the skies had darkened down once more. I knew the Zhu family was also questioned. As such, I was not worried about the clarity of the issue or the police giving me a hard time.


    It seemed that this serial abduction case would finally be solved.


    I asked one of the policemen as I exited, ¡°Where is the lady that came in with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯ll come out soon.¡±


    Standing outside the station, I recalled the fact that Tan Jiao¡¯s car would be temporarily held by the police for investigation.


    I called Xiaohua to drive my motorbike over and bring two helmets.


    I figured it would be an interesting experience for author Tan to ride on a motorcycle. After all, she had always driven a car, and she did not seem too picky about things.


    Xiaohua came with my bike in no time. After I persuaded him to go away, I parked the bike on the road outside the station and waited for my lady while enjoying a cigarette.


    I got wind of Zhu Shuyun dying not long after arriving at the hospital. As such,the case seemingly came to an end. Everything along with the mysteries Tan Jiao and I had been pursuing seemed to have come to an abrupt stop as well. Yet, something felt amiss about the fact that Zhu Shuyun alone managed to execute such a complicated plan with perfection. And, those birds that flew away right after Zhu Shuyun was shot. Will they reappear?


    Two policemen that passed by interrupted my thoughts as one of them said, ¡°When Shen Shiyan was reporting to the captain, he said he used to date that lady. He said she¡¯s his ex!¡±

 Chapter 49: Wu Yu 07 (4)

    The other policeman said, ¡°No wonder brother Shen has been working hard on the case. Last night, he even insisted on preparing a bed for her to have some rest. He even got her breakfast this morning. Looks like brother Shen is trying to rekindle old flames.¡±


    ¡°I heard the captain even instructed Shen Shiyan to send that lady home. Maybe our captain is trying to set them up too.¡±


    I took a deep draw from my cigarette instinctively after the two policemen walked away, feeling stuffiness in my chest. The image of Tan Jiao¡¯s face and how Shen Shiyan and her acted awkwardly flashed before me.


    That explains it.


    Sometime later, Tan Jiao came out from the front door accompanied by Shen Shiyan, who was still in his uniform. The former wore a green policeman T-shirt over her shirt that the birds had probably ripped to shreds already. She looked cute even with such casual clothes.


    The two seemed to be chatting about something. Tan Jiao would let out an occasional laugh as she looked at him with a bright smile and sparkling eyes. Similarly, Shen Shiyan also had an air of joy around him as he looked at her with gentle eyes. It was completely different from his sternness when solving cases.


    Shen Shiyan opened the car door for Tan Jiao. The latter raised her face to look around, seemingly searching for something. As it was already quite dark, she did not see me.


    After she boarded the car, they set off.


    I rode back to the shop after taking my last draw from my cigarette.


    After missing work for two days, there was a lot of work in the shop. I thought I might as well work through the night and sleep the next day.


    Shortly after I fell asleep, I felt a pat on my shoulder. ¡°Brother Yu, your lady is here again!¡±


    I opened my eyes to a poorly lit room with all of the curtains shut tight. The guy that woke me up had gone, but someone soon pulled opened the curtains, allowing a flood of light to illuminate the room. Dressed in something casual yet fresh, Tan Jiao stood at the door and scanned the room. ¡°How are you still asleep? It¡¯s already ten.¡±


    That means I¡¯ve slept for three hours.


    I rubbed my eyes before sitting up. ¡°I¡¯m awake now.¡± At this moment, I realized that I only had a pair of shorts on with a thin blanket draped around my waist.


    I sat on my bed without moving while she took a stool and sat down. She shot a glance at me; then she quickly shifted her gaze somewhere else as she said, ¡°I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?¡±


    ¡°The bad one.¡±


    ¡°I knew you would pick that. Listen carefully now. Shen Shiyan called me just now and told me about the results of the DNA test. The perpetrator was not related to the Zhu family at all! This means that he¡¯s not Zhu Shuyun! Not only that, the man was not born with mental disabilities; rather, his mental state was due to brain damage caused by trauma.¡±


    ¡°Who is he then?¡± I asked in shock.


    ¡°I had the same question. Guess what, Shen Shiyan told me that the man¡¯s DNA actually matched that of a missing twelve-year-old child from Jiangsu. His name was Xu Zifeng, and his parents have been trying to search for him, but they were unsuccessful.¡±


    ¡°Why would Xu Zifeng avenge Zhu Shuyun?¡±


    Tan Jiao shrugged her shoulders. ¡°They were both abducted. Perhaps¡­ they were close?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the good news?¡±


    ¡°Well. I previously thought the case was done, and there were no more clues. But looking at things now, it seems there¡¯s still something amiss about this case. Don¡¯t you think we should continue digging?¡±


    I nodded and said nothing.


    ¡°Yo, bro. What are you thinking about?¡± she asked with her head leaning over.


    Not knowing when I had become a ¡®Bro¡¯ in her mind, I raised my hand to give her nose a gentle touch. Then I said in a somewhat annoyed tone, ¡°Who are you calling bro? I was just thinking about who the real Zhu Shuyun is.¡±

 Chapter 50: Tan Jiao 08 (1)

    I never thought I could detect a hint of something interesting from this somber and stressful situation.


    It all started that night when I was at the police station, waiting in a questioning room for my turn while feeling tired yet enthusiastic. From time to time, my mind would have thoughts about Wu Yu, worrying about how he was doing. However, my worries subsided when I recalled his ability to tackle difficult situations.


    Right then, the door got pushed open, and I saw Shen Shiyan talking on the phone. His voice barely made its way into the room.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s with me. Her phone has been seized, so you won¡¯t be able to reach her. Don¡¯t worry, miss Zhou, she¡¯s fine.¡±


    Miss Zhou? Does he know another female?


    ¡°... We won¡¯t interrogate her¡­ Of course not. Miss Zhou, you¡¯re overly concerned. Tan Jiao is also my friend.¡±


    Then it struck me that Miss Zhou meant Zhung Yu. Oh my, how did she get to Shen Shiyan?


    ¡°Sleep? I need to check whether our station allows¡­ It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t need to come over¡­ Alright. I promise you that I¡¯ll make arrangements for her to sleep. Food? Fine, I¡¯ll make arrangements for that too. I¡¯ll hang up now.¡±


    Initially, I felt somewhat moved by how Zhuang Yu had called up to care about me. However, shock immediately replaced those feelings when I saw a subtle and helpless smile develop on Shen Shiyan¡¯s lips after he ended the call.


    There¡¯s something going on between them. With my experience from writing countless romance novels, I immediately picked up on the subtle changes that had developed on Shen Shiyan¡¯s face. However, this matter between them still needed nurturing before it could develop into anything substantial.


    Shen Shiyan fancies Zhuang Yu? Perhaps Shen Shiyan, this dull monk, cannot resist the temptations of a sexy succubus. This was possible given Zhuang Yu¡¯s mature and alluring appearance.


    As for Zhuang Yu taking an interest in him, that was difficult to say. Zhuang Yu is straightforward and aggressive at times. Would she fancy a dull and slow guy like Shen Shiyan? Would such an easy prey excite goddess Zhuang Yu?


    When Shen Shiyan and another officer finally entered the room, I put on a subtle smile containing profound contentment and asked him before he said anything, ¡°Hey, did you talk to my friend Zhuang Yu just now?¡±


    A look of surprise covered Shen Shiyan¡¯s face before he quickly suppressed it, putting on an impassive professional look. ¡°Miss Tan Jiao, please sit properly. We¡¯ll begin our questioning.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Their questioning was within my expectations¡ªdetailed and comprehensive. However, I was able to answer everything smoothly with a clear conscience, as I did nothing wrong.


    Their questioning ended around dawn. As expected, Shen Shiyan prepared a canvas chair for me to rest on. After a few hours of light sleep, he brought me my favorite food, Xiaolongbao.


    Zhuang Yu must have told him about this.


    While having my meal, I would look at him with occasional meaningful smiles.


    ¡°Tan Jiao, what are you so happy about?¡± he asked with a dash of redness on his face.


    ¡°Nothing much. I just suddenly thought about my good friend Zhou Yu. The thought of her makes me happy.¡±


    Shen Shiyan relaxed slightly after hearing that. ¡°She¡¯s still a college student, right? You two sure seem close.¡±


    I munched on a Xiaolongbao and answered, ¡°Yeah. I should let you know that she¡¯s pretty popular in school, and she has a handful of admirers interested in her. So, who knows how things will go.¡±


    I must say, I was quite impressed with my ability to reuse this sentence that Zhuang Yu said to Wu Yu.


    Shen Shiyan took a quick glance at me but said nothing. He probably did not know how to respond to that.


    My somewhat elated mood lasted until Shen Shiyan accompanied me out the door of the police station when I looked around but did not see Wu Yu.


    They told me he had left. I figured that he had probably felt extremely tired after all that commotion. Plus, there was no reason compelling him to wait for me.

 Chapter 51: Tan Jiao 08 (2)

    I checked my phone after waking up and did not find any message from Wu Yu or a call from him. My mind wandered as I laid on the bed, thinking about the faint air of indifference from Wu Yu. Even when I felt close to him, my heart always felt distant from him.


    Then a thought sprung into my mind, Should I consider dating him?


    If not, an uncomfortable feeling immediately filled my heart as if a cotton ball was stuck in my heart. Although it was soft, it seemed to be siphoning something away from me.


    If yes, I would feel a sense of uneasiness for some reason. These feelings I had were different from what I felt when I fell for a boy in high school or college, which was a pure and blissful feeling.


    Why is that?


    After receiving a call from Shen Shiyan, I immediately went to find Wu Yu. Unexpectedly, he was still asleep when I got there. I was quite surprised by this, as he would be the one waiting for me at all the other times.


    Xiaohua scuttered happily into Wu Yu¡¯s room before I could tell him not to wake Wu Yu up. Although Xiaohua doing that somewhat annoyed me, I still followed him into Wu Yu¡¯s room.


    I seldomly intruded into a man¡¯s room, so I did not expect Wu Yu to be wearing so little. Being considerate, Xiaohua even switched on the light in Wu Yu¡¯s room and pulled open the curtains. Immediately, the room flooded with light, and Wu Yu¡¯s lean and muscular back appeared before my eyes. With only a pair of black shorts on, he quickly grabbed the blanket and draped it around his waist after he shot a glance at me. I wondered if he felt embarrassed by this situation.


    Acting as if I was not bothered at all, I sat beside the bed and started discussing the case with him.


    It was a very significant turning point in the case. The fact that the man¡¯s name was Xu Zifeng and not Zhu Shuyun was significant. Yet, what did it mean?


    During our discussion, I detected a hint of sulkiness from Wu Yu. The latter seemed somewhat cold and distant. However, we were discussing the case without any problem.


    Does he become grumpy when he wakes up?


    With that thought, I purposefully teased him. ¡°Bro, what are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling bro?¡± he said after touching my nose with his hand, seemingly returning to his usual self now.


    He asked who I was calling bro?


    Falling silent, I did not know how to respond to him and had no choice but to focus the conversation on the case.


    ¡°Could it be that Xu Zifeng and Zhu Shuyun were friends? They were both mentally handicapped¡­ Perhaps that¡¯s why they became close? Or did Zhu Shuyun die for some reason, which is why Xu Zifeng decided to avenge his friend?¡± I suggested.


    Wu Yu nodded and said, ¡°They must have had a close relationship. How else could Xu Zifeng come to know all the details about the Zhu family and the kidnapping of Zhu Shuyun? The fact that Zhu Shuyun could tell Xu Zhifeng everything about his kidnapping means that he was not mentally handicapped. Truth be told, I have some doubts about Xu Zhifeng. He¡¯s practically a crazy person. From the three encounters I had with him, he didn¡¯t seem particularly adaptive or intelligent. Yet, we assume someone like him can set up such an elaborate plan. First, he killed two people related to Zhu Shuyun¡¯s kidnapping before executing a bait and switch to distract the police. Finally, he even tested the Zhu family¡¯s morality.


    ¡°To me, it seemed unlikely that Xu Zhifeng was the mastermind behind all. Not only that, he even told me that someone else had given him the birds and he had no idea about the letter you received before he died.¡±


    I felt shocked as if the fog previously in front of me had been cleared. I took a glance at him, not at all expecting his reasoning to be so logical and deductive. ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s what I was thinking about too. You took the words right out of my mouth!¡±


    He finally let out a smile after hearing that.

 Chapter 52: Tan Jiao 08 (3)

    ¡°Hey bro, what¡¯s so funny?¡± I teased.


    Raising his face to me, Wu Yu fixed his seemingly intimidating gaze at me and said nothing. After what felt like an eternity, he abruptly moved his hand along the bed while leaning toward me. Having sat close to the bed, I became petrified at that moment as I sensed his scent approaching me. It was the scent of a man¡¯s warm, muscular body. My heart raced frantically as I sat there in agony, feeling the dangerous aura coming from him. He said nothing, but I was beyond tense on the inside. However, I still managed to put on a nonchalant front while turning my face away.


    A rustling noise came from behind me before I caught a glimpse of Wu Yu putting on a T-shirt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go wash up,¡± he said as he stood up.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    He opened a side door in his small place, revealing the blazing morning sun outside. Grabbing his toothbrush and towel, he squatted before an outdoor tap to start washing up. I looked at him with the sun shining on his gray T-shirt. He seemed to have really embraced his laborious life, as his current appearance barely reminded me of that clean-cut, studious-looking man on that ship. Yet, from time to time, the shadow of that gentle and adorable man would appear behind those eyes when he lowered his face to smile.


    After washing his face, he put his head under the tap, washing his hair and trying his best to avoid the wound on his head. Finally, he dried his head with the towel and came back to the room. He looked at me and said, ¡°All done. Have you had breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. I came as soon as I got the information.¡±


    He let out another brief smile. ¡°Let¡¯s have some food. We can talk there.¡±


    Under the watchful gazes of his coworkers, I held my flushed face and followed Wu Yu out of the shop. ¡°Are you going to skip work again? Will it be okay?¡±


    ¡°I worked through the night, so I need to rest today. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at his face. Sure enough, there were dark circles under his eyes, which caused my heart to ache. ¡°Let¡¯s not eat then. Why don¡¯t you go back to sleep some more?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to keep you waiting.¡±


    A feeling of guilt and warmth crept into my heart. For some reason, I blurted out, ¡°Then I won¡¯t sleep in in the future so as to not let you wait.¡±


    He let out a chuckle before he calmly said, ¡°You¡¯re a lady. You can sleep for as long as you want.¡±


    I think he¡¯s not in a bad mood anymore, right?


    We came to a small restaurant close by, and I suddenly felt a peculiar urge. Let me explain. Although I had eaten at such restaurants before, I never had the chance to order a variety of seemingly delicious foods. Yet, I had the urge to do so every time I saw the piping hot dishes that came out from the kitchen, hoping to try everything.


    Since Wu Yu was with me today, I thought I would satisfy my urge and order six to seven dishes. ¡°Will you be able to finish this much?¡±


    As if he could read my mind, he shot me a glance and said, ¡°Order whatever you want. I¡¯ll try my best to finish everything.¡±


    Joy filled my heart. In the end, the two of us did clear everything we ordered.


    Leaving the shop, the hot noon sun hung above us as we walked back toward the shop slowly with our tummies filled. I decided to open my umbrella and asked Wu Yu, ¡°Why don¡¯t you come closer?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    I took a look at him carefully and said, ¡°You really are darker than before.¡±


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    ¡°You look better with a little less tan.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to like me when I wasn¡¯t this tan.¡±


    There was a unique sense of emptiness on the road, with clouds floating overhead and few pedestrians walking on the road. I had no idea why he would say that, but I felt as if my heart had been gently touched. How did you know I didn¡¯t like you? These words came up my throat before I quickly swallowed them down, realizing that I could not say this out loud. When did I come to the conclusion that this man was straightforward? I realized now that he was not at all easy to read or deal with. In fact, he shook me to my core and caught me off guard with only one sentence.


    I did not know if he said it intentionally or accidentally, but he was definitely smart and bold.

 Chapter 45: Tan Jiao 07 (4)

    Soon, the Zhu family was in an uproar.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to that madman!¡±


    ¡°Dad, we must save Xiaohan!¡±


    ¡°No one will be stabbed!¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Who are you? Why are you doing this to our family?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    With a knife in hand, the man looked at them with a grin that seemed bitter and sad. Then out of nowhere, perhaps because of the noise, the man let out a violent roar, ¡°Shut it!¡±


    A deathly silence fell upon the Zhu family in the pit.


    ¡°Y-you won¡¯t pick out t-three, right? F-fine. There is another way. P-pick one of you to...die! Then I will let...e-everyone else go! T-this will be the last chance¡­ y-you have!¡± The man warned before pointing the knife at the child.


    I felt my heart drop to my stomach.


    This time, the Zhu family remained silent for a long time before Zhu Zhihan¡¯s mother broke the silence with a sobbing voice. ¡°Zhihan¡¯s father, please think of something! What should we do? Please don¡¯t kill our child, m-my child!¡±


    ¡°Please, we¡¯ll give you all the money we have. Please, could you let the child go?¡±


    Naturally, the man did not care.


    ¡°Do all of you not see the knife in his hand? He¡¯ll kill the child first, then move on to us!¡± The old man Zhu Fengxian reminded the family.


    ¡°Must one of us die then?¡± Zhu Jirui said while sobbing.


    ¡°Everyone else will be saved if one person is willing to die! Or else, everyone will have to die!¡± exclaimed Zhu Fengxian.


    The pit fell into a lull once more.


    I could not see what was going on, yet I felt every hair on my skin prop up in fear. This was the most terrifying night I had ever experienced despite the lack of bloodshed.


    Right then, Zhu Jirui¡¯s fiance, who had remained silent, said, ¡°What¡­ what are you all looking at me for?¡±


    As this happened, the man at the top of the pit stared at the Zhu family intently.


    Yan Yuan burst out, ¡°How can you all be so selfish? You all want me to die to save the child? If anyone should die, it should be one of you! He¡¯s not even my child!¡±


    Yan Yuan¡¯s voice broke the silence of the night, even scaring several of the birds. I pictured Zhu Jirui standing in front of her fiance, protecting him as she protested. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to Ah Yuan! Second brother and sister-in-law, this is your child. If someone has to die, it should be one of you. Father, how is this logical? Tell them how ridiculous this is!¡±


    Zhu Fengxian stayed mute briefly before he said, ¡°My daughter. You and he are not married. He is an outsider!¡±


    Zhu Jirui said, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°If anyone needs to die, it¡¯s you, old man! We¡¯re still young, while you¡¯re almost 70. Besides, you¡¯re the one that lost the child. So, why don¡¯t you pay for your mistakes?¡± Yan Yuan interjected.


    Silence fell upon the pit again before Zhu Fengxian said in a quivering voice, ¡°My daughter, you heard what he said. That¡¯s how your fiance thinks of me! He thinks I¡¯ve lived long enough and wants me to die! It¡¯s him! He will die so that my grandson can live!¡±


    Sounds of chaos and the cries from Zhu Jirui echoed from the pit as a scuffle broke out.


    Zhu Zhongling exclaimed, ¡°Jirui, come over here!¡±


    His wife screamed, ¡°You will go die!¡±


    Evidently, everyone except Zhu Jirui was trying to subdue Yan Yuan.


    I never thought the situation would develop as such, but perhaps this was under the man¡¯s expectations?


    What does he want?


    ¡°S-shut it...all of you!¡± the man roared before letting out a very wide grin as if he had witnessed the funniest thing in the world.


    ¡°I-is this¡­ how it will be?¡± He said as if he were monologuing. Then he fixed his gaze upon the people in the pit and said, ¡°What is this child¡­ to your family? Isn¡¯t the child your blood and bone? No one from the Zhu family is willing to step up. Instead, you people...are letting an outsider die? It was like this twenty-five years ago. Is it still the same¡­ twenty-five years later?


    ¡°Or¡­ did I¡­ not make it clear? The life of a Zhu family member for the life of this¡­ child. But you all¡­ picked an outsider? You have¡­ failed the test. Failed the test! All of you must die!


    ¡°L-let¡¯s start with you¡­ Zhu Fengxian. Tell me, was the child you lost twenty-five years ago¡­ even more worthless? Zhu Shuyun¡­ was abducted, and you all gave up after only searching briefly. Was it because he was dumb, dumber than the other children?... Did you purposefully abandon him? Do you know¡­ how much he wants to go back home? Unfortunately, no one searched for him.


    ¡°S-so, instead¡­ I¡¯ve come back looking for you all. My¡­ father, hehe, and my brother and sister.¡±

 Chapter 53: Tan Jiao 08 (4)

    ¡°If Zhu Shuyun is still alive and is the mastermind behind all of this, how do we find him?¡±


    Wu Yu raised his face and looked ahead. ¡°Tan Jiao, do you see that white building that¡¯s furthest away? Can you see the three words that are on top of the building?¡±


    I was unsure about what he was trying to do, but I squinted my eyes and took a look. Although I was slightly shortsighted, I could still make out the first row of words. I saw the word ¡®bank¡¯ but was unable to see the other words on the second and third-row because the distance was too great.


    ¡°Some bank?¡± I said.


    He let out a chuckle. ¡°Da Tong Eastern bank. The second row writes: We prioritize honesty and diligence. The third row is the English name of the bank.¡± he proceeded to read aloud the English name.


    ¡°Wow, your eyesight is really impressive.¡± I was dumbfounded and recalled the fact that he managed to spot those birds when we were driving toward Xiaohao¡¯s place. What did he say at that time? He¡¯d explain it to me later?


    ¡°Before I boarded the ship, I had mild short-sightedness with a prescription of about 150.¡± He fixed his gaze at me as if he was anticipating a certain response.


    I looked blankly at him briefly before finally asking, ¡°Then?¡±


    He explained slowly, ¡°My eyesight became this way after I got off the cruise. I asked my friends to examine my eyesight, and it was determined that my current visual acuity is 6.0.¡±


    My eyes were fixed on his as I felt something in my heart sink, sinking down into the mysteries of the ship called ¡®Yunnan Beauty¡¯. I never could have imagined that those jet-black eyes of his that I felt had always been hiding something would be hiding a supernatural power.


    ¡°What¡¯s 6.0 like?¡±


    ¡°It means I¡¯ll be able to see you even if you¡¯re ten thousand meters away.¡±


    ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°The doctors couldn¡¯t figure out the reason either. But my eyesight became like this at the same time as when I lost my memory.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s related to that ship?¡±


    He nodded.


    Although it still seemed unbelievable to me, the fact that there was a flock of birds that could be controlled, the fact that both of us lost similar memories, and how he had developed superhuman vision, led me to think that nothing was impossible now.


    ¡°Damn,¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Why are you still repairing cars when you have superhuman vision? You could¡­¡±


    ¡°I could what?¡±


    After thinking about it briefly, I said, ¡°You could appear on a talent show. With your handsome appearance, you¡¯ll definitely become popular and make lots of money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that childish.¡±


    I thought to myself, Am I childish then?


    When we arrived at the road opposite the repair shop, Wu Yu stopped beside a railing beneath a tree¡¯s shade. While he lit a cigarette, I stayed beside him and kicked the small rocks on the ground.


    Noticing his gaze on my legs, I immediately stopped and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he said after raising his face and taking a draw from his cigarette.


    ¡°Oh.¡± I felt my ears heating up after a while.


    This guy is dangerous. He¡¯s smart and cold. What would a woman do if they fell for him?


    Then he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you previously about my eyes because I thought you might get scared. I actually have been suspicious of those birds since the last time I saw them. Since everything is related to the ship, even my eyes¡­¡±


    Wu Yu fixed his meaningful gaze on me and continued, ¡°Could the ship have also affected that man, thus giving him the ability to control those birds? Since those birds could recognize us and he even left you a note, I think he must have been on that ship. In other words, the Zhu Shuyun we¡¯re looking for may have been on that ship.¡±


    I could not describe the feeling I had at that moment.


    His words, like a flash of light, had triggered something in me, and a blurry image surfaced in my mind.


    I was strolling on the cruise.


    I observed different people there.


    A mother and daughter. Wu Yu and Wu Miao walking past the window. A group of colleges. A gloomy-looking man at the side...


    Then there was this couple¡ªnewlyweds. They stood with their backs to me at that time, and I could only see the sides of their faces. That was probably why I could not recognize them yesterday.


    The man was tall and neatly dressed, while the woman had on a seemingly new dress. They were holding hands, and the woman¡¯s ring was sparkling brightly. Yet, the ring that looked so new one year ago had become worn when I saw it yesterday.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him before¡­¡± I heard my quivering, emotion-filled voice. ¡°Wu Yu, I saw them on the ship. I know who the real Zhu Shuyun is. But how could he and her¡­¡±

 Chapter 54: Wu Yu 08 (1)

    Tan Jiao sat behind me as I rode my motorbike at full throttle, rushing toward the Zhu residence.


    While cruising there, she tried to call Shen Shiyan, but no one answered.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably busy right now and is unable to answer my call!¡± She said it with a hint of annoyance.


    I looked through the rearview mirror at her widened eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fine even if he doesn¡¯t answer. You have me.¡±


    She agreed casually before grabbing onto my shirt gently with reservations.


    Looking ahead, I told her to hold on before pressing on the throttle again. She gasped in response and immediately placed her hands tightly around my waist while pressing her head against my back.


    I said nothing as we cruised along the road with the blazing sun above us.


    ¡°Wu Yu, when did you learn how to ride a motorbike? Was it within this year?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No. I learned how to ride motorbikes when I was in college. My family was poor at that time, so I could only use my friend¡¯s motorbike.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    After a brief pause, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy a bike later and learn how to ride them. Perhaps you can teach me?¡±


    I stayed silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Your driving skills are already questionable. Don¡¯t you think driving a bike would be too much for you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She punched me in the back and whined, ¡°You¡¯re making fun of me? I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re like that!¡±


    I chuckled and said, ¡°Those are the facts.¡±


    ¡°Let me off!¡± she said with an obviously fake angry voice.


    I pressed on the accelerator again, and her grip immediately tightened. She pressed against my back again and muttered, ¡°This is not fair.¡±


    I made no remarks, only grabbing her hand and placing it higher on my chest. Her grip tightened further, which caused my heart to instantly pump faster.


    She said nothing more and remained in this position until we finally arrived at the Zhu family residence.


    Although the sun was still high in the sky, I noticed that all the curtains in the house were shut. A car was parked outside the house.


    Something was not right, and we immediately went to knock on the door.


    However, no one responded.


    I knocked harder on the door, creating a very audible bang. If anyone was in the house, they would not be able to ignore this. As expected, Yan Yuan¡¯s voice soon sounded, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Taking a glance at Tan Jiao, I noticed the somewhat anxious look on her face, so I nudged her to stand behind me.


    The door opened halfway and revealed a calm-faced Yan Yuan standing there. His facial features now seemed eerily similar to the Zhu family members.


    His face was somewhat red, and a layer of sweat covered his forehead. It was a hot day, but he wore a black long sleeve shirt and trousers that seemed to be stained. When he saw us, a strange look briefly flickered in his eyes before he promptly put on a smile to greet us. ¡°It¡¯s you guys. I haven¡¯t had the chance to thank you two for saving my family. Is there something I can help you with?¡±


    I smiled as well and said, ¡°Mr. Yan. We have some doubts that your family could help us with. Are you free for a chat?¡±


    Yan Yuan became quiet for a good while. Then he said, ¡°Sure. What do you want to know?¡±


    The door never opened fully, always blocking the view into the house. I took a step forward and said, ¡°We¡¯re looking for senior Zhu.¡±


    Yan Yuan let out a chuckle. ¡°That would be troublesome. My father-in-law is sound asleep after returning from that gruesome ordeal. It hasn¡¯t been easy on his old body. Perhaps you could come back tomorrow? I¡¯ll tell him when he wakes up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll talk to your second brother-in-law then.¡±


    His expressions changed slightly. ¡°Unfortunately, my second brother-in-law and his wife have gone out.¡±


    ¡°What about miss Zhu Jirui then?¡±


    ¡°She went out too.¡±


    The two of us fell into a lull before he smiled again and said, ¡°Mr. Wu, Miss Tan. I am very thankful for how willing you two have been in helping my family. Our family will find a day to thank you two. However, if there¡¯s nothing I can do for you now, then I¡¯ll be going in to rest.¡±

 Chapter 55: Wu Yu 08 (2)

    Tan Jiao intervened with a smile on her face before I could say anything. ¡°Mr. Yan, you don¡¯t need to keep thanking us. Let¡¯s just be friends from now on. But we did come all this way on a hot day, so could you at least let us come in for a drink? We¡¯ll be quick about it, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I smiled promptly and looked at Yan Yuan.


    Tan Jiao¡¯s gentle approach would make it hard for any guy to decline. Although the request was fairly normal, Yan Yuan still insisted, shaking his head. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t allow you to come in. The house is a mess, and I am about to take a shower. Miss Tan, you guys should leave.¡±


    Yan Yuan was about to shut the door after saying that, but I quickly put my foot in to stop him. The next moment, Tan Jiao grabbed onto my arm, probably because she was worried.


    With the door in between us, Yan Yuan and I stared at each other. His friendly and polite eyes were now replaced with a sharp, somewhat hostile gaze.


    At that moment.


    A loud bang came from behind Yan Yuan, seemingly from the stairs in the house. Next, tumbling sounds came from something that appeared to be heavy. Yan Yuan¡¯s gaze flickered, and I used that opportunity to push open the door, shoving him back.


    Then Tan Jiao and I saw the terror happening in broad daylight: A man covered in blood that was tied to a chair laid at the bottom of the stairs. With his mouth gagged, the man could only stare at us with his terror-filled eyes while groaning desperately.


    Isn¡¯t that Zhu Zhongling? What is going on in this house?


    No sooner after the scene of horror had appeared before us, the corner of my eyes caught the shine of a dagger coming toward me. ¡°Be careful!¡± Tan Jiao screamed.


    Yan Yuan had pulled a dagger out and was coming at us with an ominous glare.


    Immediately, I took a step in front of Tan Jiao, but I was too late to dodge the dagger. Cutting pain spread as the cold dagger sliced horizontally across my abdomen. I was able to grab onto his arm after that, but his cold smile greeted me.


    Noticing his strength and flexibility, I immediately realized he was not someone I could beat; he was not at all the typical business person.


    ¡°Tan Jiao, call the police! Go get help!¡±


    Yan Yuan¡¯s brows knitted tightly, but there was no way I was going to let him get to Tan Jiao. As such, I grabbed onto him until Tan Jiao¡¯s footsteps faded into the distance.


    Breaking free from my hold, Yan Yuan took a step back and stared at me with his bloodshot eyes, asking furiously, ¡°Who are you? Why are you such a busybody?¡±


    With my guard up, I stayed silent.


    He doesn¡¯t know me?


    The birds seem to know me, yet he doesn¡¯t?


    ¡°Did you give Xu Zifeng those birds? And taught him how to use them?¡± I asked.


    He was taken aback briefly, but a smile soon developed. ¡°You know about this too? Did Zifeng tell you about it? Why?¡±


    His voice sounded cold and sinister until he finally raised his hand and let out an oddly echoey whistle.


    Sounds of wings fluttering came from outside the windows, becoming louder and louder. At the same time, the shadow of a sinister grin appeared on Yan Yuan¡¯s face.


    It struck me then that when Xu Zifeng died, someone in the pit had yelled ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± That voice seemed to belong to Yan Yuan, which means that those birds were actually following his orders.


    ¡°Did you go on a cruise called Yunnan Beauty in June last year? Are you able to remember anything after the first day on that cruise? Do you know how you¡¯ve gained the ability to control these birds?¡±


    Yan Yuan froze on the spot with his eyes wide open. ¡°How do you know this?¡±


    ¡°You were also on that ship?¡± he figured it out very quickly and asked with a cracked voice.

 Chapter 57: Wu Yu 08 (4)

    I shielded my head with my arms and wanted to rush over. Unfortunately, more birds came at me as if they knew what Yan Yuan was thinking. Crowding me, the birds basically formed a net, blocking my way.


    There was no chance of me getting to Yan Yuan. The latter grabbed Zhu Zhongling¡¯s head while having a similar expression to what Xu Zifeng had before. It was a smile that felt sad and joyous at the same time. The cold blade sliced across Zhu Zhongling¡¯s neck, and blood started flowing out.


    Bang! Out of nowhere, the door was kicked open, accompanied by a single gunshot. Yan Yuan froze while blood left his face. He looked down after a while and fixed his gaze on the gunshot wound in his chest. At the same time, the birds left me and surrounded Yan Yuan.


    Covered in blood, I looked up and saw Shen Shiyan¡¯s stern face. He aimed his gun at Yan Yuan as he walked into the living room. Following closely behind him was Tan Jiao.


    Tan Jiao ran to my side and asked worriedly, ¡°Are you alright? Are you injured?¡±


    I held her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. These are just superficial wounds.¡±


    The police rushed in and helped the Zhu family members. Shen Shiyan holstered his gun and quickly placed Yan Yuan in handcuffs before helping him up. ¡°Call the ambulance immediately! He doesn¡¯t look too good!¡±


    Flapping their wings, the flock of birds exited from the window, leaving the room within seconds. However, they did not leave the residence immediately. Instead, they circled above the house while letting out terrifying calls.


    All of the policemen stood rooted as they witnessed this eerie scene while Shen Shiyan raised his gaze to the two of us.


    Laying there in Shen Shiyan¡¯s arms, Yan Yuan, or more accurately, the real Zhu Shuyun, had a ghostly pale face with his eyes half shut.


    Tan Jiao and I walked over to him.


    Zhu Shuyun looked at us with his dying gaze, his face looking particularly pale.


    Out of nowhere, his eyes widened, and a layer of sweat covered his forehead as if he had seen something extremely horrifying. He pointed his hand at us and said, ¡°You¡­ how could this be?¡±


    Before he could say anything more, those fixated eyes of his lost their luster. Those lifeless eyes stayed fixed on us while his hand gradually lowered to the ground.


    I ignored the police, sprung toward Zhu Shuyun, and asked while holding his hand, ¡°What do you want to say? What did you recall?¡±


    His eyes only had horror in them, as though he could not hear what I asked. Soon, his body trembled greatly, convulsing unnaturally. In the end, after a final jolt, his eyes rolled back, and he laid there motionless.


    Everyone in the room looked at each other, unsure about exactly what had happened. The police pulled me back, and I slowly got up. Tan Jiao came into my arms and asked with a quivering voice, ¡°Is he dead? What happened to him? What caused him to become so terrified?¡±


    I fell into a brief silence before saying, ¡°Perhaps¡­ his mental state was unstable before he died. Maybe what he saw was not us but his inner fears.¡±


    Tan Jiao looked slightly relaxed when she heard this, but she still appeared to have some lingering fears. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    It seemed that everything had come to an end.


    The strange birds had left the area, while the gravely injured Zhu family members were saved. Tan Jiao and I, with the help of a policeman, walked out of the Zhu residence. The sky was already dark, with the police lights illuminating the surrounding area with red and blue. I looked back and saw the already motionless Zhu Shuyun lying on the floor. His horror-filled eyes were still wide open. Tan Jiao wanted to look back as well, but I pressed gently on her head, not allowing her to look back.


    ¡­¡­


    It was not until a long time later that we finally found out the real reason why Zhu Shuyun was frightened before his death.


    In truth, some of the people who came down from that ship, only at the moment of death, the moment when time stopped or when they fell into eternity, would remember everything that had happened on that ship.


    This was the same for Tan Jiao and I.

 Chapter 58: Tan Jiao 09 (1)

    I had a dream.


    In my dream, I saw Yan Yuan, who was also Zhu Shuyun. He laid at the end of my bed and pulled at my legs desperately. ¡°I will kill you! I will kill you!¡±


    I looked up and saw that he had become a spirit with a bloodied face, fangs, and claws.


    ¡°Ah!¡± I let out a sharp scream and abruptly opened my eyes to stare at the ceiling, completely drenched in sweat.


    Swearing inwardly, I sat up feeling somewhat dazed. I had always been pretty brave, but the things Zhu Shuyun had said before he died kept annoying me like an annoying mosquito. His words had left me feeling rather anxious.


    The Zhu family incident had finally reached a conclusion. Wu Yu helped the police with their investigation. Now, the latter never came to look for us anymore. But if I were Shen Shiyan, I would be suspicious of us. After all, Wu Yu and I had always been able to stay ahead of the police in stopping the criminal.


    Maybe Shen Shiyan should give me a certificate: Tan Jiao, the great inspector.


    As I brushed my teeth, I thought about how impressive it was that Shen Shiyan and his band of detectives were already on their way to the Zhu residence shortly after I ran out and called the police. I learned later that the police had figured out there was a traitor among the Zhu family after they scrutinized the statements they gave. Even though this meant that Zhu Shuyun¡¯s behavior was inhumane, the police still felt that his previous experience was very odd. In the end, after examining his DNA, they discovered that Yan Yuan was none other than Zhu Shuyun. That was why they immediately rushed to the Zhu family residence, albeit a little late.


    Leaning on the balcony railing, I pondered about some matter while basking in the sun. Even though the case had been solved, there were still many mysteries¡ªthe year of memory I had lost and the strange note that was left in my house.


    I did not think losing my memory of that one year would affect me much, but I was bothered by the thought of my relationship with Wu Yu. What were we?


    Was he interested or just being casual? Did he still have those feelings for me when he saw me on that ship, or was he merely taking care of me because of our similar circumstances? After all, he was willing to risk his life to save the children and the obviously selfish Zhu family.


    The previously arrogant yet studious man that I met on that ship one year ago had become this tough and caring man.


    Resting my chin on my arm, the thought of liking a repairman lingered in my mind. Although Wu Yu was extremely sexy¡ªhis tank top, those muscular hands holding a wrench, and the faint scent of engine oil coming from him¡ªhis lifestyle now was completely different from mine. Perhaps we would fight a lot after getting married?


    ...What am I even thinking about?


    Looking out from my balcony, I was able to spot the repair shop. Its blue roof stood out from the surrounding buildings. I stayed there, gazing at that blue rooftop for a while until my phone rang.


    ¡°Detective Zhu, congratulations on solving the case,¡± Zhuang Yu said with her calm voice.


    ¡°Nah, it was nothing.¡±


    ¡°I never expected the two of you to be so daring. Going to the home of that weirdo to catch him in the act. People in the real world are crueler than the characters you create in your books.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so true. It all started with senior Zhu conveniently giving up on looking for his seemingly dumb child. That¡¯s when the seed of hatred was planted. In fact, Zhu Shuyun was not at all dumb. He was just not that good at communicating. If he were actually autistic, his IQ might be extremely high.¡±

 Chapter 59: Tan Jiao 09 (2)

    I continued to tell her, ¡°Zhu Shuyun had previously received grueling training from a thieves syndicate and had been homeless for quite some time. Despite that, he had always wanted to go home. Of course, that was until he turned ten and found out that his father had been avoiding him like the plague. From then on, his only purpose in life was to get his revenge. Although he seemed dumb when he was young due to his slower development, Zhu Shuyun was actually really smart and egotistical. He was able to create a successful business later on and went back to the Zhu family as his sister¡¯s fiance. On the other hand, Xu Zifeng, who was a previously normal person, became somewhat disabilitated from all the beating he received while he was in the thief syndicate. The two were perhaps best friends, so Zhu Shuyun decided to use Xu Zifeng as the lead character in his perfectly orchestrated play. For Zhu Shuyun, this was definitely better than just killing his family on his own. Then he planned a series of abductions and even staged a moral dilemma so that the Zhu family could face their ugly and selfish souls. In the end, he had to do it himself and immediately drugged his entire family before slowly torturing them with the intent of killing them. If it weren¡¯t for Wu Yu and I, Zhu Shuyun would have succeeded.¡±


    Zhuang Yu listened to me for all this while before letting out a sigh. She said, ¡°What an utter degenerate.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Shuyun¡¯s actions are nothing compared to the other killers. Want me to tell you some crazier stories?¡±


    ¡°No thank you!¡± Zhuang Yu replied firmly.


    Funnily enough, although the two of us are best friends, our interests in writing were completely different. I would feel a headache when I heard her talk about complex sci-fi theories. On the other hand, even though she has no fear of spirits and supernatural things, she was scared of gory scenes. In fact, she would get so scared that she would not be able to sleep.


    That was why we were a match made in heaven.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together? Let me soothe your trembling soul that went through a terrifying ordeal.¡±


    I was about to accept her offer when my phone suddenly let out a beep. Having a strange feeling, I told Zhuang Yu to hold the line while I checked my phone. Sure enough, it was a message from Wu Yu: Are you awake? We should meet up to have a chat about the matter.


    Making up my mind instantly, I picked up the phone and said, ¡°Zhuang Yu, I have something up at night. Let¡¯s get together some other day.¡±


    She let out a brief chuckle and said, ¡°Someone¡¯s busy. What else could it be? You¡¯re not writing a book, and you don¡¯t have many friends.¡±


    ¡°You youngsters wouldn¡¯t get it,¡± I said casually.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to see the repairman?¡±


    A surge of joy gushed into my heart. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Geez¡­ Are you about to be conquered by him? I noticed those eyes of his that are fixed on you like some delicious meal. You can¡¯t give in this easily. Where¡¯s that mature lady I knew?¡±


    I fell silent briefly, trying to repress the joy in my heart. I finally asked her with a calm tone, ¡°You¡¯ve noticed his gaze? Does he really seem interested in me?¡±


    ¡°Damn it! I don¡¯t want to listen to this anymore!¡±


    ¡°Oh. I¡¯ll hang up then.¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Zhuang Yu paused before saying, ¡°So, you and that dull detective, Shen Shiyan, is impossible?¡±


    It hit me two seconds later, and I felt like laughing my as* off. Using all my effort to hold back from cracking-up, I replied nonchalantly, ¡°There¡¯s absolutely nothing between us. Nada. It¡¯s none of my business who he goes out with.¡±


    Zhuang Yu acknowledged my reply with a very casual ¡®oh¡¯. Then we ended the call happily.


    An image sprung into my mind just then: Shen Shiyan becoming my best friend''s boyfriend and getting ordered around like a dog. I felt somewhat pleased by that.

 Chapter 60: Tan Jiao 09 (3)

    I picked up my phone and replied okay.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come pick you up later.¡± Wu Yu replied within seconds.


    After giving it some thought, I replied, ¡°I¡¯ll pay for dinner. You¡¯ve bought me food a few times already.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± he replied.


    A thought suddenly popped into my mind, So is this our first date? To compensate for the one we were supposed to have on that ship.


    I arrived before a wardrobe and rummaged through everything I had. In the end, my eyes became fixed on several of my short skirts as I thought about how Wu Yu looked at me the several times I wore them.


    Is that the thirsty look Zhuang Yu talked about?


    My heart rate shot up thinking about it. I picked out a navy blue skirt and a simple T-shirt. I even went to a salon to get my hair washed, as I had gone through a lot of hardship and fights. All this time with him, I had to admit I had not been able to maintain my appearance. Finally, I matched my outfit with a pair of sandals, something that was slightly sexy and revealing.


    I had to make a reservation for a restaurant as well. Nothing too fancy of course; that would only emphasize the wealth gap between us. However, a greasy spoon would not work for our date either. I need to put some effort into this.


    What else? Suddenly, I recalled those eyes of his that seemed to be hiding something painful. Those eyes that I could not figure out. Also, the cold and distant feeling I always felt from him. Even though I had tried to talk to him about his past, his rejection was always swift.


    However, I could not help but want to know more about him.


    My heart, which had been racing for all this while, gradually calmed down. I had previously tried to search for Wu Yu¡¯s information online but had found nothing.


    I came before the computer and typed in another name: Wu Miao.


    As the beautiful twilight slowly engulfed everything, I found Wu Yu waiting downstairs for me. He stood there with his motorbike while smoking a cigarette. When I came close to him, I noticed the clean clothes he was wearing and his washed hair. He had even removed the bandage on his head, leaving only a small gauze.


    He put out the cigarette he was smoking when he saw me coming before passing me a helmet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear it. It¡¯s stuffy.¡±


    He put the helmet back before giving me a quick scan. I acted nonchalantly but abruptly felt a warmth on my legs.


    He got onto the motorcycle. I climbed on as well while holding my skirt down. I placed my hands on his waist with familiarity, but he jerked slightly when I touched him. My gaze flickered to his waist immediately and vaguely saw the gauze that wrapped around his waist.


    It was the wound he received when he fought Zhu Shuyun.


    ¡°Is it better?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Much better. Where are we going?¡±


    I pulled out my phone and showed him the address that I had checked. After a quick look, he knew where it was. With a nod of his head, he said, ¡°I know where it is.¡±


    We cruised along the road slowly and arrived at the restaurant after a while. The restaurant looked rather old and had a small entrance. However, the outdoor space inside the premises was surprisingly spacious with many small tents set up. The place was not only cozy but also allowed for some privacy. I felt rather proud of my choice.


    We picked a tent that was made from bamboo and sat down. Tie-dyed cloth hung from the top of the entrance, separating the inside of the tent from the rest of the restaurant. The tables and chairs were made from rattan that gave off a glossy look. Holding my phone, I said, ¡°I booked a set meal for us.¡±


    Wu Yu nodded.


    With the warm light shining down on him, those eyes of his looked particularly black. The combination of his jet black hair, black pupils, and black shirt made him look especially attractive.


    While waiting for the dishes, I asked, ¡°How are your wounds? Can you let me have a look?¡±


    I swear I did not mean anything else when I said that. Wu Yu shot a glance at me before asking, ¡°You want to take a look at my wounds?¡±


    My heart was very calm on this quiet night. I expected my heart to race wildly on such an occasion, but it was remarkably calm.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Come closer,¡± he said.

 Chapter 61: Tan Jiao 09 (4)

    It was a four-person round table with a seat between us. After he told me to come closer, I did not object and immediately went to his side.


    He pulled up his shirt, revealing his abdomen. The first thing that caught my eye was his well-defined, perfectly tanned abs.


    The cut was at his lower waist, extending to the side of his abdomen. Fortunately, the wound was shallow, and nothing important was hit.


    I took a sip of the tea calmly and said, ¡°Alright, all done.¡±


    He lowered his T-shirt and took a sip of tea as well.


    I suddenly felt an air of awkwardness between us and quickly said, ¡°You¡¯re covered in wounds now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. After all, they both received a level of combat training.¡±


    ¡°But you were still able to stop the two from killing members of the Zhu family,¡± I immediately said.


    ¡°We stopped them together.¡±


    The skies had turned dark with only the weak warm light above us. A hint of sweetness hit my heart as I felt myself looking forward to something happening tonight. Yet, such a feeling made me feel uneasy.


    Wu Yu was particularly quiet tonight. Our gazes met a few times, but he said nothing.


    The dishes finally came. I had ordered a set of Dai cuisine. The pilaf served on bamboo was placed in the center with eight other dishes surrounding it. The two of us put on plastic gloves and started eating.


    Gradually, we finished half of the food. I bit into a chili pepper and felt its spiciness fill my mouth. I took off my gloves immediately and frantically looked for water. ¡°Water! Water! Water!¡±


    Wu Yu picked up the teapot and found that it was now empty. I summoned the waiter, and they quickly went to refill the teapot. While waiting for the waiter to come back, I searched frantically for something that could put out the fire in my mouth. A surprised Wu Yu sat there and asked, ¡°Is it very spicy?¡±


    I nodded my head fiercely and felt as though tears were going to come out.


    His face was without a smile, and he had already placed his chopsticks down. Then out of nowhere, he got up, pressed his hand on the back of my head, and kissed me.


    My breathing stopped as I felt the familiar aura inches away from me. His face was very close to mine, and his eyes were shut as he gently kissed my lips, occasionally sucking on them. After a brief moment, he let go of me and went back to his seat without looking at me.


    The curtains were opened at that moment, and the waiter returned with water.


    After the waiter left, I ate a mouthful of rice, which jolted me back to my senses, slowly returning me to reality. ¡°What was the meaning of that?¡±


    Wu Yu stayed silent. How could he say nothing? This punk kissed me out of nowhere and is keeping his mouth shut?


    My heart was beating erratically as if there was no rhythm to it. I fell into a brief lull and said, ¡°This roast meat is nice. Give it a try.¡±


    Rather than responding to me, he got up after taking out a cigarette and said, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a smoke.¡±


    Before I had time to say anything, he had already gone out. Looking through the curtains that were gently blown by the breeze, I saw him standing there under another tent, motionless. He looked lonely and somewhat depressed.


    Suddenly, my heart was overwhelmed with some sort of negative feeling. I thought to myself, Why is he going out for a smoke when he¡¯s the one that kissed me? Does he need to calm down? Is he shy or does he regret the kiss?


    I decided to act as if nothing had happened to avoid losing face.


    Yet, the feeling on my lips was truly something else. Then a strange thought popped into my mind, Now I can no longer act as if there is nothing between us.


    He returned after a while. I had already recovered from that episode and said, ¡°I paid for the meal already, so don¡¯t even try to pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Our eyes met briefly before he and I both quickly looked away.


    ¡°Shall I send you home?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I replied.

 Chapter 62: Tan Jiao 09 (5)

    I saw him about to get up, and I could not hold back anymore.


    I grabbed hold of his arm, and he turned to me immediately. The anger in my heart was roaring while I also felt somewhat aggrieved. My eyes were somewhat teary as I asked him, ¡°What was the meaning of that? Are you just going to ignore the fact that you kissed me? What are you thinking? This doesn¡¯t mean that I like you, okay? After all, I¡¯m not the one that kissed you¡­¡±


    Then I saw a fiery passion burning within his eyes.


    Before I knew it, he had come in for another kiss, shoving the words I was about to say back into my throat. He pulled me into his embrace and kissed me with even more intensity. His tongue came into my mouth and moved with a sense of urgency, like a hungry wolf that had been starving; it was exactly as Zhuang Yu had described. I felt my whole world turning upside down while feeling somewhat giddy, but for some reason, I also felt like crying with tears at the brink of overflowing.


    His hand caressed my back gently, but he seemed to be holding himself back at times. My brain was shouting for more oxygen as the kiss reached a level of climax, and before I knew it, I was on his lap, hands completely controlled by him.


    The kissing finally stopped when a waiter came into the tent. I immediately bounced up from his lap, but his hands still clung to me, not willing to let go. He looked up at me with his somewhat teary eyes.


    Immediately after the waiter left with an awkward smile on her face, I shot a question at him while feeling somewhat irritated. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this then?¡±


    ¡°Tan Jiao¡­ I like you. That¡¯s what¡¯s in my heart. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed this as well. I just can¡¯t hide my feelings for you. Everything you do is so cute, and you¡¯re the perfect girl I¡¯ve dreamed of. However, I just can¡¯t ask you to be with me. I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future, no one does. I can¡¯t provide you with a good life and...I have something I must do. In fact¡­ I might not stay in Dali for too long. I can¡¯t be with you, so I won¡¯t hold you back.¡±


    A mixture of joy and anxiousness filled my heart as I listened to him. In the end, my heart sank while I trembled in fear. Yet I also felt somewhat reluctant to give up. While putting on a nonchalant look, I asked, ¡°The thing you must do is related to Wu Miao¡¯s case, right?¡±


    Wu Yu let go of my hand and searched for his cigarette. As if a terrible memory had been drawn out, he looked gloomy and was unable to find a cigarette for a moment. After finally finding one, he lowered his head and took a deep draw while lighting the cigarette.


    I had only done a search on Wu Yu previously, so I could not find anything. But I knew now what had happened to him. I knew the events that had caused this arrogant man to become a dirty-shabby-looking laborer; the thing that had brought him down from cloud nine.


    ¡°I read about it on the internet. It happened about a year ago, roughly a month after we got down from that ship. What Wu Miao encountered was a very cruel serial killer. She was the fifth victim.¡± I paused for a while and said with reluctance, ¡°A month later, your mother drowned herself because of the incident. And just like that, you lost everyone you loved dearly.¡±


    ¡°Stop Tan Jiao. Everything is in the past already.¡±


    It was apparent that the deep wound in his heart had not healed.


    ¡°You gave up on your job, your identity, and your future, just so you could hunt down this killer?¡± My tears overflowed slowly, and I said, ¡°But it¡¯s fine. I can understand why you¡¯re doing this. I can accompany you to find the killer. I can also leave this town with you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t understand how I feel.¡± His tone was very calm. ¡°Only those that have experienced such pain can understand the never-ending torment.¡±


    I fell silent and looked at him with my teary eyes.

 Chapter 63: Tan Jiao 09 (6)

    ¡°So, that¡¯s it for us?¡± I heard my strained voice asking him.


    Wu Yu looked at me with a gaze that seemed extremely steadfast. ¡°Look, I still haven¡¯t unraveled the mysteries behind the ship, so I don¡¯t know what might happen next. I can¡¯t be with you, but I will make sure nothing happens to you. I will do my best to protect you.¡±


    I sniffed slightly and said, ¡°Is this because of the generous heart you have now? Is that why you want to protect me like a child?¡±


    For a moment, he fell quiet before he said in a calm and slow manner, ¡°No. It¡¯s because of love.¡±


    I stared at him speechlessly, unable to control the tears rolling down my face. Meanwhile, he remained calm with a nonchalant look on his face. As he said, in his current state, he would never settle down or have a future with me. I grabbed his arm and said, ¡°You can¡¯t do this. Who do you think you are? You want to protect me because of love, yet you don¡¯t dare to be with me! You¡¯re scared of losing me or dragging me into this! No! I can¡¯t accept this! Let¡¯s just end it here then! I¡¯ll face whatever comes my way! And I don¡¯t need you to protect me!¡±


    He placed his hands firmly on my shoulders as his lips trembled ever so slightly. I was eager to hear the most honest things he had to say, just like before. However, his face turned cold and deadly serious. ¡°Don¡¯t be childish¡­ what if that person goes after you?!¡±


    I was stunned.


    He seemed like a restrained beast right now, looking at me with his bloodshot eyes. With a very cold and serious expression, he stared at me intently. ¡°I always thought I could do it. Ever since Wu Miao was killed, I vowed I would catch him¡­.However, a year has passed, and I¡¯ve made absolutely no progress. I¡¯ve searched everywhere and went after all the possible clues. I even gained the ability to see abnormally far. Yet, I still couldn¡¯t find him. He¡¯s very good, leaving absolutely no traces behind. I think he even knows I am trying to find him¡­ so, what if he finds out about you? You and Wu Miao¡­¡± His hand stopped inches away from my face. ¡°And those other victims are so similar.¡±


    ¡°Tan Jiao, go live your life. Write your novels and be happy and safe. I thought about it repeatedly before coming here today. In fact, I couldn¡¯t sleep last night because of this. There are many things we can¡¯t control and many events we can¡¯t foresee. That¡¯s why you must not fall into this hole I¡¯m in. Please listen. I¡¯ll watch over you.¡±


    I cried for a very long time that night, and I was very disappointed with myself.


    Around midnight, I got up and stared at the bright full moon. I pondered whether I had really known what true love was.


    Would it be a happy ending? I knew that would not be the case now.


    So should I just forget about him? No, how can I give up so easily?


    I sat up and flipped through the calendar aimlessly, calculating the time. Then I noticed the date when I saw him again. It was exactly fifteen days ago.


    Why would I be reluctant to move on when I had only known him for fifteen days? Even after he had rejected me, why do I still feel unwilling to give up?


    I really do not know what love is now.


    All I know is that now that I think back, for the past fifteen days, every minute we spent together, every moment that seemed normal yet steamy at the same time¡ªall of that was love.


    I had fallen head first for Wu Yu, yet he was not willing to be with me.

 Chapter 64: Tan Jiao 09 (7)

    It felt like a long sleep before I finally woke up with my mind still weighed down by one name: Wu Yu.


    I opened my eyes, looking out at the sunny rays outside. The wind gently moved the golden-brown window curtains, revealing the lush mountainous scene outside. The sky was particularly blue after a rainy night, with clouds scattered sparsely across the sky.


    I felt as if a jolt of electricity had shot through my body. I sprung up quickly and could not believe what I saw before my eyes. Every cell in my body was trembling and at the brink of exploding.


    However, everything felt so real. I felt the soft sheets on the queen-sized bed in the room and even stupidly pinched myself. Ouch, it hurts! This is not a dream!


    My weak legs touched the floor and felt the carpet. Every step I took felt true as I scanned the room once more. This is real, I¡¯m not dreaming.


    I was back on that ship.


    It was very peaceful, with a gentle breeze blowing in from the window. There were also the sounds of some birds. It was those black birds! When they flew by the window, they did not linger; it was as though they did not recognize me.


    I could hear my breathing getting louder and louder, confirming once more that this was not a dream at all. The last time was real too; I was really on this ship.


    Suddenly, I felt a chilly feeling inside of me, like a deep hole slowly spreading out from my chest.


    Picking up my phone from the bed, I felt my hand becoming stiff when I saw the time on the display: 24th June 2016, 10:33 A.M


    In disbelief, I turned on the TV and then my computer, but the same reality greeted me.


    Unless I am being lied to? But this ship, the scenery outside the window¡­ and how is it possible that I am here when I was just in Dali last night?


    What if it really is the 24th of June, 2016?


    One year from now, I forgot everything that happened from today onwards. But now, I have come back to experience it.


    A terrifying word crossed my mind, filling the blanks.


    The blanks in my memory were being filled up.


    I blanked out in the room for a while. After calming my mind, I worked up the courage and went outside.


    The sun was just right, but there were some lingering storm clouds not far away. It seemed that a rainstorm would still occur in the near future. The river sparkled, and melodious music filled the air. There were several guests hanging at the deck and chatting. Everything seemed very peaceful.


    I had no idea what sort of expression I had on my face as I walked aimlessly around. When I finally walked past a waiter, she asked with a concerned tone, ¡°Miss, are you alright? You look somewhat pale.¡± With a hoarse voice, I replied, ¡°Nothing. Do you know¡­ what date it is today?¡± He told me the date and probably saw my face turning even paler.


    I walked along a corridor and passed several people. When I arrived at the restaurant on the first floor, I saw several of the guests I saw in the past; they looked extremely calm. I did not go in and instead went to the deck at the front of the ship where the river breeze cleared my head. Repeatedly, I told myself, This is real, this is real.


    A thought abruptly sprung into my mind. If this is reality, then would Wu Yu¡­ would he be back on the ship as well?


    Immediately, I started running back but bumped into a couple on my way back.


    ¡°Ah!¡± the lady exclaimed.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± I immediately apologized. However, I gasped when I looked up and saw their faces.


    A tall and handsome man and a beautiful woman. They were Zhu Jirui and Yan Yuan.


    They were back as well! Yan Yuan had returned from the dead!


    Instinctively, I took a step back. Especially when I met Yan Yuan¡¯s gaze; those eyes of his were so black that they showed no emotions.


    However, Zhu Jirui did not seem to recognize me. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just be careful where you go next time.¡± Yan Yuan did not seem to recognize me either. He gave me a glance and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Before I could react, the two had left me. They¡­ don¡¯t recognize me?


    Could it be that they are from the 24th of June?


    I pondered as I looked at their backs. Then I turned and started running to Wu Yu¡¯s room again.

 Chapter 65: Tan Jiao 09 (8)

    Thinking about the sorrowful conversation between Wu Yu and I, I walked down the gently illuminated corridor hesitantly, as I had no idea whether I would see him or not. I came before the door and was surprised to find that the door was not completely closed.


    ¡°Wu Yu,¡± I called softly.


    There was no response.


    I pushed the door open and found no one inside, but I saw a laptop that was still on.


    Where did he go?


    Has he forgotten about me already? Like Yan Yuan and his fiance? Painful thoughts like that filled my mind.


    No! Even if he rejects me, I wouldn¡¯t want to let him go; I wouldn¡¯t want to let go of our days together. Our love is real, and he even admitted it. I don¡¯t want to lose this!


    I held onto the doorknob with my eyes brimming with tears. What is this place that I have come to? How could time turn back after a night¡¯s sleep?


    However, I knew clearly that a few days later, something very strange would await me on this boat. Perhaps I would find out about those memories that I had lost and all the secrets behind everything that had happened.


    I tried to calm down.


    Wu Miao.


    Yes, Wu Miao!


    Wu Yu must have gone to find Wu Miao if he left the room in such a hurry. My heart raced all of a sudden as I felt a sense of hope. However, what room did Wu Miao stay in? I walked hurriedly out of the room and intended to find a waiter to ask about this.


    All of a sudden, something caught my attention.


    The door in the next room was opened as well. Then I heard the voice of a girl. ¡°Brother¡­ brother, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you hugging me all of a sudden? Did¡­ something happen?¡±


    My heart suddenly felt tense as I opened the door slowly.


    Behind the door was a well-lit room, with beams of sunlight streaming through the window. Then I saw her, Wu Miao, who should be dead. She was sitting beside the window right now with her big eyes staring at me. She looked like her brother, except she was much cuter. While Wu Yu did not look like the man that I liked, he was indeed Wu Yu. He stood before Wu Miao and held her tightly with his face buried in her long hair.


    Wu Miao pushed Wu Yu, cleared her throat, and said, ¡°Brother, someone is here. What happened to you? Did you fry your brain from doing all that math¡­¡± her voice trailed off.


    Wu Yu did not let go but raised his face slowly and saw me.


    Although his body was not that of the repairman I liked and was instead fair-skinned and lean, I was sure about those eyes. He had those eyes that had gone through a lot. Now, they were slightly bloodshot.


    ¡°Wu Miao, stay here and don¡¯t go anywhere. Don¡¯t even leave the room. I have something very important to tell you later.¡±


    Wu Miao tensed up and replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    I looked at him blankly as he came close to me. Even though we had seen each other the day before, I could not control my heart from racing.


    Right then, a smile formed on his face. The smile that had touched my heart in the past. His warm and irresistible smile. He grabbed my arm and held me tight in his arms. I was standing against the wall and instinctively took a step back when he held me. In the end, I became trapped between the wall and his tight hug.


    Behind him, Wu Miao looked astonished, her hand covering her smile. ¡°You two¡­ Brother, when did you¡­ meet such a beautiful lady?¡± Then she mumbled, ¡°When did this nerd learn to be so passionate¡­ Oh my¡­¡±

 Chapter 66: Tan Jiao 09 (9)

    His sudden hug irritated me, so I used all my strength to try and push him away. ¡°What are you doing? Didn¡¯t you make yourself clear already? Let me go!¡±


    Wu Miao immediately became quiet.


    Wu Yu did not let me go. Instead, he gave me a deep look and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± I tried to resist him, but he still dragged me along and out to the corridor. Only after he closed the door did he let me go.


    I walked toward the window with my back to him, totally ignoring him.


    He came to my side and stayed quiet for a moment. ¡°I thought I was in a dream.¡±


    I did not respond to him for some time before finally asking, ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what this is, but don¡¯t you think too many strange things have happened to us? My eyes, our memory, Yan Yuan¡¯s birds. Everything is linked to this ship. Now that time has turned back, Tan Jiao, do you know what that means?¡±


    I turned to look at him. His tired eyes were now somewhat bloodshot. I knew what this meant, and I knew that he may be able to change the past. He could stop his sister and mother from passing away.


    I felt emotional and burst out saying, ¡°That¡¯s fantastic. Wu Yu, if you can change their fate, then you won¡¯t have to live like that and¡­ you¡¯ll have a good life.¡±


    With patience and kindness in his eyes, he looked at me. I felt somewhat uncomfortable. ¡°So what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do everything in my power to stop the murders from happening.¡± I nodded in response.


    ¡°Will you help me?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course I will,¡± I replied without hesitating.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s talk to Wu Miao now,¡± he turned and said. A smile suddenly appeared on his lips. ¡°You know, you¡¯re someone she looks up to, goddess Qi Zhu. I know how she doesn¡¯t quite like to listen to me, so perhaps having you talk to her will be better.¡±


    I followed him for a few steps before stopping. The thoughts I had were developing out of control.


    I grabbed his shirt with my face down and said, ¡°Wu Yu, if history changes, then you won¡¯t be a repairman anymore. Then won¡¯t we¡­ not meet at all?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He turned to me and gently caressed my face. His fingers felt soft and not how they used to be.


    ¡°I will always remember you. I won¡¯t forget you.¡±


    I felt even sadder when I heard this and said, ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    He fell into a lull before saying, ¡°Right now, it is ten fifty-five, 24th of June, 2016, and you¡¯re here with me. The fact that I can remember you now, means that from now on, even if history is changed, I will still remember you. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t forget you.¡±


    We arrived outside of Wu Miao¡¯s room.


    He knocked on the door gently, and the shadow of a smile developed on his lips. His smile looked somewhat bitter, and I suddenly felt pity for him.


    At this moment, a wave of dizziness hit me; perhaps it was the glaring sunlight that hit me, or maybe it was because I was thrown into such chaos immediately after waking up.


    I pulled myself together, thinking that now was not the time.


    Wu Miao opened the door and revealed a quick smile upon seeing us. ¡°Oh, you got her back? Miss, how were you able to date my very unfriendly brother?¡±


    Even though Wu Yu always said that Wu Miao was a brat that did not like to listen to him, I thought she was somewhat cute. I put on a smile and said, ¡°Nice to meet you Wu Miao. My name is Tan Jiao. It''s the Tan with the radical Yan, while Jiao is the character for bright.¡±

 Chapter 67: Tan Jiao 09 (10)

    I felt Wu Yu¡¯s gaze on me.


    Leading me by the hand warmly, Wu Miao sat down with me on the sofa. Wu Yu sat across from us on the bed. I noticed the calmness in his eyes and a hint of affection as he looked at the two of us.


    I felt somewhat annoyed, as I already felt like forgiving him for giving up too easily.


    ¡°Listen to me carefully, Wu Miao. We have something important to tell you, and you must remember it. You must listen to me this time.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    Wu Yu suddenly turned to me and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t trust me, then you would at least trust her. She¡¯s Qi Zhu, the famous writer that you adore.¡±


    I felt somewhat awkward when he introduced me like that. Sure enough, Wu Miao covered her mouth in shock and exclaimed, ¡°Ah!!! You¡¯re Qi Zhu! My goddess! Ah!! You¡¯re here!¡±


    Like his brother, Wu Miao was quick-witted. Immediately, she asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the important announcement is that you two are together? Was it because I liked you so much that my brother thought he would marry you? OMG! Qi Zhu goddess, how are you so beautiful? I am about to cry¡­¡±


    Sure enough, her eyes became teary.


    Feeling somewhat emotional, I suddenly recalled the article about her dying and could not accept such a thing happening to her. I patted her on the shoulder and comforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, okay? We¡¯ll be friends. Even if I broke up with your brother, I¡¯ll still be your friend.¡±


    Wu Miao looked up, glanced at Wu Yu, and then glanced at me. Wu Yu was also looking at me, his gaze causing me to panic again. However, I thought I noticed Wu Yu¡¯s face turning a little pale.


    ¡°Wu Miao, listen to me. On the 5th of August, you must not go to Chunxi alley on your own.¡±


    Right then, I felt extremely dizzy. It was to the point that I could not sit properly. My vision became blurry and shaky. Through my blurry vision, I saw Wu Yu was also similarly down.


    Although I heard Wu Miao¡¯s nervous voice, I could not reply.


    Then I saw my surroundings becoming twisted.


    Everything in the room seems to be turning.


    Wu Miao was also going away from me, falling along with everything in the room into a whirlpool. Meanwhile, I could not move as if I was dead.


    At that moment, I felt someone holding my hand. I had no idea how Wu Yu had managed to come close to me, but at that moment, I could only recall the words he said before:


    From now till the end, I will not forget you.


    ¡°Wu Miao! The 5th of August! Remember! Stay at home and do not go anywhere!¡± I heard his distant scream.


    Soon, I fell into darkness and lost all sensations.


    When I finally woke up, I saw the familiar ceiling of my Dali apartment.


    Outside the window, the sun was bright and calm as always.


    Without checking the time, I already knew that I was back to one year later. The summer of 2017.


    It was a rather hot day, but I felt occasional chills for some reason. I raised my hand and looked at it for some time. This is real.


    I¡¯m back.


    What about him?


    I felt a sudden hole developing in my heart as I shot out of bed, intending to go find him.


    Then a thought sprang into my mind and stopped me. I pulled up my computer frantically and took a quick glance at the time. Sure enough, it was the day after Wu Yu and I had a meal. I quickly typed the name Wu Miao into the search bar.


    The search gave me new results.


    Wu Miao, Suzhou university, fourth year student. The fifth victim in a series of gruesome murders. Different from the other cases, the victim was first reported missing on the 7th of August, 2016. The police were able to deduce from the crime scene that it was the same perpetrator. This was the only time the perpetrator had broken into a home. The victim¡¯s body was never found.


    Chills ran down my spine. From being murdered to going missing. The crime had changed, which meant that the past had changed.


    What happened? Was she saved?


    I stood up and immediately left the house. Driving at the fastest speed I had ever done, I went straight to the repair shop.


    Wu Yu, are you still there?

 Chapter 68: Wu Yu 09 (1)

    I pushed open the door, and tears started to roll down my face.


    I seldom cried. When Wu Miao and mother were still alive, they never saw me crying.


    With two women behind me and an uncertain future facing our household, I had to be strong as a man. I had to work hard to let them and myself have a good life.


    The room was very bright, with the sun rays refracting into a rainbow of colors when they hit the window. She was still wearing that shirt, and her face still looked pretty; she had always cared about her appearance. Sitting in front of the desk, she was reading one of Tan Jiao¡¯s novels. When she saw me, she immediately tossed it aside and said, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s morning, and I¡¯ve completed all my homework.¡±


    I never knew where she hid them, her stash of Tan Jiao¡¯s novels. She was always good at hiding stuff, a smart girl.


    Yet, on the 5th of August, she was unable to avoid that person?


    My memory of her, the image that had been seared into my brain, was the unrecognisable bucket of flesh that had been stored in a freezer.


    I walked over to her.


    Probably because my expression was too scary, Wu Miao gradually became frightened. Before she could run away though, I already had her in my arms.


    Wu Miao, my dear sister.


    Tears were rolling down my face. Am I holding her too tightly?


    Soon, Wu Miao started panicking. She struggled and held up my head and asked, ¡°Brother, what¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± I could not respond. When I saw her pretty face, I smiled again. Seeing this, Wu Miao started to cry as well and said, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be like that. Stop crying!¡±


    After hugging her for quite some time, my heart finally calmed down. A sense of confidence and strength ran through my veins, and I knew what I needed to do next. It was clear to me that this was a gift from God, and I had to cherish it. I took out my phone and called my mother.


    When I heard my mother¡¯s gentle and caring voice, I began to cry again. Wu Miao was shocked and could only stare at the rarely emotional me. Mother felt that something was wrong as well and asked, ¡°Ah Yu, is something wrong? Why do you sound off? Did you catch a cold?¡± I never liked to worry her, but every time I thought of her now would make me remember her cold, drowned corpse. I took a deep breath and suppressed the wave of pain I was feeling in my heart. ¡°I¡¯m fine, mother. We¡¯re having a good time. Mom, take care of your health. Everything will be great.¡±


    My mother chuckled.


    After ending the call, I gazed at Wu Miao¡¯s warm and worried eyes. A smile spread across my face again, and I went in for another hug. However, I was gentler this time.


    ¡°Wu Miao, play all you want from now on. If you want to read novels, read novels. Do whatever you want. I¡¯m here, so everything will be fine.¡±


    She fell silent for a moment before she said, ¡°Are¡­ are you testing my will? I won¡¯t fall for it! No! I guarantee you that I¡¯ll work hard and study hard!¡±


    I saw the crafty look in her eyes and could not help but smile again. I did not want to let her go.


    At this moment, Tan Jiao appeared.


    I raised my head to find a visibly pale-faced Tan Jiao.


    I immediately knew she had been shocked.


    I recalled what happened last night¡ªperhaps not last night anymore¡ªwhen we sat in that bamboo tent. I had my head down, smoking a cigarette while she sniffled slightly and said, ¡°Since this is how it is, then you don¡¯t have to send me back. Let¡¯s end it here.¡±

 Chapter 69: Wu Yu 09 (2)

    Perhaps she did not know this, but I had to muster all my will to not go after her.


    When I saw her at twilight to fetch her for dinner, her rosy cheeks and red lips, I felt a hint of selfishness again.


    When I kissed her, I felt my heart really trembling for a lady. I noticed I had been holding myself back plenty of times. Perhaps it was the numerous dangers we had gone through together that finally caused me to make up my mind to not indulge myself. Yet the thought of holding myself back had backfired, which resulted in me kissing her passionately.


    I knew I could not bring her down to where I was. I had been wasting my time, searching for revenge. From certain perspectives, I could be considered a degenerate. That was why I could not get her involved. If I were unable to do good by her and instead brought her into danger, then how could we even be in a relationship?


    Or perhaps, deep inside of me, I had become fearful of losing someone dear to me again.


    When I saw her again on the ship, she looked annoyed and seemed like she had things to say. I know how she felt. Yet, we were now in this situation and unable to know what would happen. I needed to protect her.


    That was why I walked toward her.


    I caught a glimpse of sadness in her eyes, but before I could react, I was holding her in my arms. I wonder if she knew that if she looked at me like that a few more times, I would give up and selfishly date her. I would not care at all how things would turn out.


    I knew she was a kind girl, and under such circumstances, I needed her help. As such, I asked her to help me save Wu Miao. Sure enough, she agreed and even became very friendly with Wu Miao. I knew she was doing this because she was kind and not because she wanted to impress me. After all, when we re-entered Wu Miao¡¯s room, she did not look at me anymore.


    I felt bitter and somewhat glad about this, but now was not the time to think about such things.


    I felt a little dizzy when I stepped into Wu Miao¡¯s room, but I ignored it.


    However, who would have known that this timeline would end so quickly. Sensing that something was wrong, I immediately warned Wu Miao again. She seemed somewhat puzzled about this and even tried to help me. Even though I was still worried and reluctant, I knew now that at least she knew what to do. I put on a smile with great effort then raised my face to look at the woman I love. Through my fuzzy vision, I saw that she had fainted. I tried to stand up but ended up falling down. I only managed to grab onto her hand.


    Tan Jiao, I¡¯ve told you. No matter how things turn out, no matter how the past has changed, I will remember you.


    Even if I am no longer at where I used to be.


    ¡­¡­


    However, when I woke up, I was still at that repair shop. I woke up peacefully and looked at the gradually rising sun. A moment later, my heart was flooded by the pains of sorrows once more.


    History had not changed. I was still here, still staying somewhere far away from home.


    Like a madman, I took my phone out and looked up information about my mother and sister.


    Wu Miao went missing a year ago. Now the date had changed, and the events that occurred had changed. The police were unable to find her even now. As for my mother, nothing had changed, and she drowned a month after.


    I held onto the phone and sat in bed for a long time as an intense thought burnt in my heart, She went missing, which means that she might not have died. Wu Miao might still be alive!

 Chapter 70: Wu Yu 09 (3)

    Even I felt that the possibility of this was minuscule and that I was merely lying to myself.


    Yet, it was clear to me what I had to do. I packed up what little things I had and told the boss I was quitting. Since the boss was a friend of a friend and knew what I had been through, he had always been very tolerant. He told me that if I had done what I needed to do and had nowhere to go, I could come back here anytime. He said that my skills were exceptional and would be a good hire anywhere. I told him okay.


    Without asking the boss for this month''s pay, I left the shop in a hurry, not even saying goodbye to my colleagues. I took the bus to the train station and took the first train leaving for Suzhou.


    I stayed in Suzhou for around ten days, going through the street where Wu Miao went missing and every corner that that person had ever appeared in. I even went to officer Ding, the detective that investigated the case back then. Unfortunately, their reply was still the same. ¡°We are very sorry, Wu Yu. We never gave up on looking, but it seems that the perpetrator has vanished. Don¡¯t worry though, we will never stop looking for your sister.¡±


    I walked around the empty streets at night, looking up at the night sky of Suzhou. That bright and clear moon that was similar to the one above Yunnan. While I stood at a corner and enjoyed a cigarette, I sometimes heard her voice in my head, My name is Tan Jiao. It''s the Tan with the radical Yan, while Jiao is the character for bright.


    She probably did not know this; the girl who I fell in love with the first time I saw her probably did not know this. She did not know how much of a degenerate I was when I first lost both Wu Miao and my mother. I skipped my graduation ceremony and was too utterly devastated to even go to work. That was also when I started smoking and drinking to drown out my sorrows.


    On the day that Wu Miao was murdered, she had called me. She asked whether I could accompany her to buy something for her job interview. That day, I was preparing an important thesis paper that would make my resume even more impressive. As such, I rejected her request and asked her to go with a friend.


    Unfortunately, she went shopping alone that day.


    I would often think about what that lady on the ship told me. You may be poor, diligent, self-disciplined, intelligent, and ambitious. However, we should neither live our lives too purposefully nor too selfishly. Otherwise, you might lose a lot when you¡¯ve made your gains in the future. You might even lose what you cherish the most, making you regret everything you¡¯ve done!


    Since then, these words and that lady had become something that was meaningful to my life.


    What she said had become a warning to me to some extent.


    ¡­¡­


    A few days after I left Dali, Xiao Hua gave me a call. ¡°Brother Yu, a lady came to find you the day you left.¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡±


    Xiao Hua let out a chuckle and said, ¡°A very innocent looking beauty. She said she lived nearby, and she drove an orange jeep. Do you know her?¡±


    I knew he was trying to make fun of me, but I already knew that it was Tan Jiao.


    ¡°She¡­ what did she say?¡±


    ¡°She asked where you had gone to and when you would be coming back. She even asked how long you had been working here. Brother Yu, be straight with me now, what sort of relationship are you two in right now?¡±


    Ignoring his question, I ended the call. Immediately, the image of Tan Jiao came to mind. Her beautiful face and those slightly sparkly eyes of hers. Whenever I shut my eyes, her image would appear before me.


    These days though, she had not been trying to call me or text me.


    I was fine with this outcome. At least I did not have to drag her into this mess.

 Chapter 71: Wu Yu 09 (4)

    She did not know that aside from looking for the killer, I had also traveled to many places such as Tibet, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang. These places far from civilization gave me a moment of peace in my mind.


    Then just like that, my troubled heart sank into the villages in the snowy mountains, the vast lake, and the snowy plains.


    Tan Jiao was the only thing that really riled me up.


    However, it now seemed like she had calmed down too.


    Without any more clues and the mysteries of the ship going nowhere, I felt like I had no reason to return to Dali anymore.


    ¡­¡­


    I never used to check social media such as Weixin, QQ, or Weibo. However, one time after I searched for the name Qi Zhu, I began to check out her Weibo every day. She seemed to like posting about her life. Every little detail about her life could seemingly be found there.


    1st of July 2017.


    ¡°I¡¯m in a very bad mood today. Feeling really awful. Don¡¯t ask me why. It¡¯s just a relationship problem. Those who love me please give me a big kiss.¡±


    I checked the date of this post and saw that it was the day I left Dali. There were some internet slang that I was not familiar with, but it was funny to me for some reason. However, after that short moment of laughter was over, a heavy feeling returned to my chest.


    3rd of July.


    ¡°Maybe I should go blind dating again¡­¡±


    I lowered my face and saw that I had squeezed my cigarette out of shape unknowingly. As I scrolled through the comments section, I found a bunch of comments that objected to that.


    The southern peacock: ¡°Blind dating? How long have you not been writing?¡±


    Cute and Round: ¡°My goddess, you¡¯re still young. Spend more time at work and not love.¡±


    Hey, You: ¡°Goddess, you¡¯ve gone mad, right? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be single forever?¡±


    The Joy of Being In The Arm of My Idol: ¡°I¡¯m focusing on work ¡®again¡¯. This means she had failed once at least. Hehe.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    As I scrolled through her Weibo, I somehow felt at ease. No wonder she was that cute, her world, her readers, were all that cute.


    5th of July.


    ¡°I went boating today. Even though it was very sunny, I still went boating. Am I foolish for doing that? But when I look at the blue skies, white clouds, and mountainous scenery before me, I feel that everything can be forgiven.


    ¡°If you guys ever miss someone, try writing their name on a piece of paper and throw it into the water. Looking at that person¡¯s name fading away to the distance on that paper is somehow meditative.¡±


    The comments below that wrote:


    Beer and Dumplings : ¡°Oh no Qi Zhu, don¡¯t scare us. Did you break up with someone?¡±


    Lazy Person: ¡°Don¡¯t be too invested¡­ Thinking about your ex is a bad thing¡­ Go back to writing.¡±


    The Sun Never Sets: ¡°Why do I sense a hint of sadness from this? I feel bad for our goddess, don¡¯t make fun of her guys!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    This time, I could not smile at all after reading that. In my mind, I could totally imagine Tan Jiao doing this, something dumb that she would insist on doing.


    8th of July.


    ¡°Went to have dinner with @TherealZhuangyu. We should enjoy our lives and not waste it on sorrows. For singles like the two of us, men and dating are just like clouds in the sky.¡±


    10th of July.


    ¡°What should we do today? Let¡¯s get the car washed and drive around on this sunny day!¡±


    12th of July.


    ¡°The most painful thing in the world.


    ¡°He¡¯s the dark clouds and you¡¯re the moon.


    ¡°The bright moon encounters the dark clouds.


    ¡°But the moon is unaware that the clouds have disappeared.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªFirst section ¡°Passing Light¡± finished ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

 Chapter 72: Tan Jiao 10 (1)

    I have lived in a disorganized manner lately and was definitely not up to the ¡®Enjoy our lives and not waste it on sorrows¡¯ post.


    That was why, on this day, I felt extremely depressed. In fact, I began to despise everything sorrowful, even love. After taking a hot shower, I changed into a cooling dress, put on some makeup, and went to find Zhuang Yu for dinner.


    This was probably what Lu Xun meant when he said that if a person did not explode silently, they would become perverted.


    Zhuang Yu and I met up at her school''s front gate.


    She was pretty out of luck recently. It was her summer vacation, but she still had a mountain of projects to finish. I had asked her out several times, but on multiple occasions, she replied, ¡°I¡¯m very busy with all the tests that''ve been going on.¡±


    Finally, she took some time out to have dinner with me, but she had a haggard appearance. Wearing a black T-shirt, hair as messy as a bird¡¯s nest, with a pile of paperwork in her arms. Originally, I had wanted to vent to her about all the sad things in my life, but when I saw her drained appearance, I did not feel like it anymore.


    The two of us sat down and immediately ordered some food, seeing how pathetic the two of us seemed.


    While waiting for the food to come, Zhuang Yu continued with her work. Of course, I did not forget about the main thing I wanted to talk to her about: that strange event that seemed like a deep well in my life now. Looking at the friends I had, only Zhuang Yu seemed to be someone I could rely on. She was knowledgeable about Sci-Fi, time travel, and stuff like quantum mechanics.


    Lowering my voice, I told her, ¡°I need to talk to you about something really strange.¡±


    Zhuang Yu gave me a glance and lowered her voice as well. ¡°Okay, let me finish this paper.¡±


    A sense of panic suddenly filled me as I became unsure whether it was a good idea to talk about such a strange matter.


    When the food arrived, Zhuang Yu put her work aside and said, ¡°Finally done with that shit.¡± Her timing could not be more perfect. The two of us grabbed some food and opened a bottle of beer. ¡°Come, let it out. Let¡¯s see if that strange thing you want to talk about will stimulate this numbed and tired heart of mine.¡±


    ¡°Zhuang Yu, I¡¯m serious about this. Do you believe in time travel?¡±


    Spitting out a piece of bone, she replied without looking up, ¡°Of course, I do. Time travel occurs when an object travels beyond the speed of light. Even though we don¡¯t have the capability on Earth, I believe it does exist in this universe.¡±


    I felt a sense of comfort at that moment. This was the first time I felt proud and a sense of security from having a friend like her.


    ¡°Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t time travel. It¡¯s more like going back to a certain time point and staying there for a few hours before coming back to present again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then what happened?¡±


    I looked around at the other people, making sure that no one was listening. Then I said in a lowered but clear voice, ¡°Something like that happened to me.¡± Immediately after saying that, I felt my heart rate increase.


    Zhuang Yu¡¯s whole person paused for a good second or two before she spat out a mouthful of beer onto my face.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± I exclaimed while frantically grabbing tissue to wipe my face. Zhuang Yu held back her laughter and said, ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry! It¡¯s just that the way you spoke just now made you look like some¡­ some nutjob¡­¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When I finally cleaned my face of beer, I saw the difficult to describe expression she had while looking at me. The two of us fell into an awkward lull before I said, ¡°Zhuang Yu, I¡¯m not trying to be funny, nor am I going insane. My mind is sound, and I¡¯m sure this happened to me.¡±


    I was not sure if my expression seemed bad, but I was sure that my hands felt extremely cold right now. After a moment of silence, Zhuang Yu said, ¡°You sure you weren¡¯t dreaming? Or maybe you were mistaken because it felt like deja vu?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. Do you recall the cruise I signed up for a year ago? I returned to that ship and stayed there for a few hours before returning to the present. I was not dreaming, really. There was even someone else who had the same experience.¡±


    A frown appeared on Zhuang Yu¡¯s forehead. ¡°Who was it?¡±


    ¡°Wu Yu.¡±


    Perhaps the restaurant was too loud, and she did not hear me, but she asked, ¡°Who?¡± again.


    ¡°I said Wu Yu. He signed up for the cruise as well. I told you this before. The guy I met the first day on that cruise but we parted on bad terms. This time around, the two of us returned to the second day after that.¡±


    Zhuang Yu looked surprised and said, ¡°Oh, the two of you seem to share a certain fate.¡±

 Chapter 73: Tan Jiao 10 (2)

    Somewhere in my heart, I felt a sting when she said that.


    Then I continued to tell her about the events that transpired. ¡°On the ship, I even saw Wu Yu¡¯s younger sister. She is supposed to be dead in a month''s time, yet she¡¯s somehow alive on that ship?¡±


    ¡°Younger sister?¡± Zhuang Yu asked. Realizing that Zhuang Yu did not know anything about Wu Yu¡¯s younger sister, I went through everything with her. From how Wu Yu was previously a brilliant student, to the ship, to how we lost our memory. Then how his younger sister was murdered, their mother¡¯s death, and how he gave up on his studies to hunt the killer before ending up as a repairman. Finally, how we appeared back on the ship and back to the present again.


    Zhuang Yu was no doubt a salacious lady. After finally explaining everything to her and telling her so many strange events that had occurred to us, her immediate reaction was to give me a weird look before she said, ¡°Tan Jiao, when you talk about Wu Yu, you seem pretty pent up and horny.¡±


    Damn it, how is she picking up on the things I am trying to hide!


    I put on my there¡¯s-nothing-going-on face, let out a chuckle, and asked her, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about me. What about you and Shen Shiyan? He seems to be treating you differently?¡±


    Thinking that she would at least show a second of awkwardness, I instead saw her taken aback. ¡°Shen Shiyan? That detective guy you previously went on a date with? How is he related to me?¡±


    I was somewhat shocked by her reaction. She did not seem like she was pretending, and that was not her style. Was I thinking too much into it? Was there no spark between them? Or at least on Zhuang Yu¡¯s side, there was no reaction?


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s talk business now. Could you help me make sense of the situation?¡±


    Putting on a serious look, Zhuang Yu picked up her pen and drew several lines on a piece of paper. However, the lines were not aligned and were expanding out like steps. ¡°Here, time is like a straight line and only moves toward one direction. I drew it into sections so that you could better understand this.¡±


    I nodded my head.


    Then she drew a dot on the bottom-most line and the top-most line. Finally, she connected the two dots and explained, ¡°Like how you said it, you¡¯ve gone from this point to this point. Then you came back again. This means Wu Yu and your timeline have become intertwined. We always thought that this is outrageous because we thought time is something fabricated and only moves forward. However, time is actually three-dimensional. Just like how space works, where we can travel from one point to the other; from Dali to Kunming, from Kunming to Shanghai. As such, if time is three-dimensional, then why wouldn¡¯t we be able to travel through it if the conditions are correct?¡±


    Even though the explanation hurt my brain, I understood what she said. After taking some time to think through it, I asked, ¡°Then what would cause something like this to happen?¡±


    Zhuang Yu took a drink from her beer and gave me an enigmatic look. ¡°Cause? Hard to say. Wormholes could be one possibility. You¡¯ve heard of wormholes in the past, right? They are able to connect the fabric of time and space. Not only that, 26% of the universe is composed of dark matter, and scientists have no knowledge about it yet. Or, have you heard about parallel universes? The possibility that there are actually many parallel universes and maybe you just went to another universe¡­ That¡¯s why even a scientist would not be able to answer your questions.¡±


    Out of nowhere, she grabbed my shoulder and said, ¡°Damn! I still can¡¯t believe something like this happened to you. Why can¡¯t something like this happen to me? I want it! I want the hands of time to toy with me! Do you know how much of a miracle this is to a Sci-Fi geek like me?¡±


    I placed my hand on her overly excited face and said with a disinterested tone, ¡°So, you don¡¯t know the reason?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. Even though we don¡¯t know the specifics, there are still some basic speculations.¡± Her face turned serious again. ¡°To cause time to go backwards, there must be some powerful forces involved. Not only that, something like that would be well hidden. It can¡¯t be that you were struck by lightning in broad daylight and still knew nothing about it, right? That¡¯s why, Tan Jiao, think about the things that have happened. Was there anything that seemed out of place?¡±

 Chapter 74: Tan Jiao 10 (3)

    After parting ways with Zhuang Yu, I drove around the city. My heart could not help but feel somewhat worried thinking about the words that she said. Was there anything that seemed out of place?


    For an otaku like me, this was a rather difficult question since I never traveled much aside from that one trip on the cruise. The places I frequented were restaurants and the library.


    Could it be that I had gone somewhere during the one year I had no memory of? And that I had no clue about?


    That¡¯s unlikely.


    A clear thought appeared in my mind¡ªthe ship.


    The evidence supporting this included: my lost memory, Wu Yu¡¯s eyes, and Yan Yuan¡¯s ability to control birds. If such a mysterious force existed and could warp time and space, then it would not be strange that these people had developed such abilities.


    In fact, there was nothing that was more strange than that cruise.


    What happened to us on that cruise? Where did we go? And what did we see?


    Subconsciously, I wanted to quickly tell Wu Yu about everything Zhuang Yu had talked about. Yet a second later, my heart felt like a balloon that had popped. Talk to him? He is gone and is never coming back. How would I talk to him about the universe and time travel?


    With a heavy heart, I unintentionally drove to the repair shop. I stopped my car beside the road and gazed at the shop quietly. When did I become like this? Why do I care so much? Even the few worn out tires outside feel nostalgic and slightly painful.


    He is gone. He left ten days ago. They told me he had quit his job and gone somewhere else.


    I felt like we had broken up.


    I drove up to the shop and was greeted by a new employee. ¡°Welcome lady, what can we do for you?¡±


    ¡°I want my car washed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s our grand opening. Do you want to make a membership card?¡± I also got this offer when I first came here. I let out a chuckle and said, ¡°I already have a membership card.¡± However, I could not for the life of me find the darn card.


    ¡°Miss, we don¡¯t have a record of names, so if you don¡¯t have the card¡­¡±


    Feeling somewhat annoyed, I said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll pay cash.¡±


    I went across the street and stood under a tree as they started washing my car. I felt somewhat comforted when I looked ahead to the city covered by the beautiful twilight. The mood felt soft and mellow as I walked down the street leisurely in my rarely worn high heels.


    ¡°Brother Yu.¡± Vaguely, I heard a scream from someone in the shop.


    It was as though something had stung my ears. I stopped in place and thought that perhaps I had heard wrongly.


    I raised my face.


    The wind was blowing through the city, and under the clear blue skies, a man stood outside the shop. He wore a familiar white tank-top and jeans while holding a cigarette in his hand. It was far away, so I could not see his face clearly, but I was able to recognize the short hair and his sweaty neck.


    He looked in my direction.


    And with his superhuman eyes, I bet he could even see clearly the pores on my face.


    I lost my balance momentarily and stepped down from the walkway onto the street, looking somewhat pathetic and stupid. Even though the mood in the air was quiet, I felt like I had fallen into a pot of bitter wine. It felt stuffy, heavy, and unpleasant.


    I looked up again to find that he, Xiao Hua, and his other colleagues were walking out from the shop in my direction. Xiao Hua said, ¡°Brother Yu, you¡¯re finally back! We must go out and have something to eat!¡± Another person said, ¡°Yeah, Brother Yu, so how did things go?¡±


    Wu Yu¡¯s voice was low, so I did not hear his answer.


    They walked past me from across the street. Perhaps he had told something to Xiao Hua, but when they walked past me, they did not say hello even though they saw me. They only took a glance at me.


    Wu Yu did not look at me at all. Maybe he thought I was trying to be clingy, so he did not want to give me any hope.


    After my car was washed, I drove around town before finally realizing I had been going around in circles. Images of him filled my mind. Him looking down with a dull look on his face, just like how he had looked ten days ago when he kissed me.


    I thought, This is good. He looks fine and not bothered about anything. I guess men really are more cold-hearted than women.


    I need to settle down too. I should put these thoughts to rest.


    No more. I don¡¯t want him anymore.

 Chapter 75: Wu Yu 10 (1)

    Sitting at the noisy barbeque shop, with oils and smoke in the air, I felt as if everything around me was not there.


    With my cigarette in hand, all I could think about was how Tan Jiao looked when she stood outside the repair shop.


    Xiao Hua¡¯s voice slowly became noticeable. ¡°Brother Yu. Hey, Brother Yu¡­ What are you thinking about? You seem out of it.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about my lady.¡±


    The two of them were stunned, after all, they had never heard me talking about this. ¡°Where¡¯s your lady from?¡±


    ¡°Brother Yu, you didn¡¯t go home because of her, right?¡±


    I continued smoking and did not reply.


    Xiao Hua said, ¡°Speaking of which, brother Yu sure has some luck with the ladies. The beautiful lady that came to the shop today came to look for you the day you left the shop. She even looked sad when she heard you had resigned. How the hell did you get that kind of girl? There¡¯s also that young married woman from the Hua Ting neighborhood. Do you remember her? She also came looking for you to wash her car¡­¡±


    I felt a sting in my heart when I heard that.


    ¡°What else did Tan Jiao say that day?¡± I asked.


    Xiao Hua probably did not hear me clearly. ¡°Who?¡±


    Just as I was about to repeat the question, the corner of my eye caught something familiar at the entrance of the shop.


    I raised my face, and sure enough, it was her. Her gorgeous figure walked into the shop. Her head was lowered, and she seemed somewhat out of it. She sat down at the first table she saw and did not seem to notice me yet.


    She had said that this barbeque shop was really nice and really close to her place. I just never expected to see her again so soon.


    My hand holding the cigarette did not move, not until the hot ash fell on my finger.


    The waiter passed her the menu, and she quickly started ordering. I saw everything clearly: six sticks of lean meat, six sticks of fatty meat, two sticks of prawn, two chicken wings, two sticks of squid, one mushroom, tofu, potato, green bell peppers¡­ Her appetite is good today...


    Perhaps I looked somewhat dazed, but Xiao Hua and the lot started poking fun at me.


    ¡°Brother Yu, Brother Yu, who are you looking at?¡±


    ¡°Brother Yu, are you letting your bros down again?¡±


    Tan Jiao took notice and looked up. Our gazes met, among all the people in between, the noise, and the smoky oil in the shop.


    From her clear eyes, something suddenly surged out. It was something I really did not want to dive into. However, that look faded away, and she quickly looked away, being very particular to not look toward my direction. Yet, at that time, I noticed her small hand clenching hard as if she was fighting something.


    I took a deep draw from my cigarette.


    I saw her latest post on Weibo recently and felt as if a hammer had smashed my heart while a surge of emotions filled my body. I packed my bags today and bought the earliest ticket back to Dali.


    I arrived around noon. Looking at the blue sky of Dali, all I could think about was what she posted.


    ¡°The bright moon encounters the dark clouds. But the moon is unaware that the clouds have disappeared.¡±


    Were all authors like this? Expressing themselves in unusual ways. Even though it was just a normal sentence, it somehow made me sad?


    She looked exceptionally gorgeous today when I noticed her outside the repair shop. She was wearing an off-shoulder dress, and her long and lush hair rested naturally on her shoulders. She even put on some light makeup, making her already delicate features even more eye-catching. She was no longer that girl that ran around with me for the past few days. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she was wearing a plain t-shirt. She looked very approachable like that.


    I did not understand why she would become like this. It seemed that her reaction when sad was different from other women¡¯s. In fact, she was very hard to understand.

 Chapter 56: Wu Yu 08 (3)

    Like a stream of dense black liquid, the birds came in through the window before gathering behind Yan Yuan, forming what looked like a pair of black devil wings.


    A terrifying scene unfolded before me as the birds waited eagerly for their master¡¯s orders.


    My heart sank as I confronted this ominous view. Yet, I knew I had to mentally shock him so as to waste time. I nodded in reply and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I was also on that ship. Are you not curious about what had happened to us after that day? Or how you gained these powers?¡±


    Unexpectedly, he shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care. What I know is that I gained this power after that trip. With them, it¡¯s as if I had gained a sensory boost¡­ an army of obedient soldiers that everyone ignores. I used them to slowly find out what had happened to me. How I was abandoned all those years ago. I was able to patiently and carefully orchestrate my flawless punishment, my revenge¡­¡±


    Right then, his expression became stern as he pointed at me while the birds behind him called out as if they were furious. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the two of you, Zifeng wouldn¡¯t have died, and they would be suffering now. Suffer for the sins they¡¯ve committed and that selfish blood which runs in them! But it¡¯s fine. I can deal with them in the end. Killing them is a piece of cake.¡±


    The second he finished saying that, the birds arranged themselves in an offensive position while staring at me with their vicious, yellowish-brown eyes. I tightened my fists and readied myself for battle. However, a cute image of Tan Jiao wrapping her head up in a T-shirt, putting up a strong front on that hill, surfaced in my mind. I calmed down a lot thinking about that, and my fears went away.


    ¡°What about the note? The note left at Tan Jiao¡¯s home?¡± I fixed my gaze on his face intently, looking for any changes in his expression.


    With a calm and nonchalant expression, he replied, ¡°What note?¡±


    A smile developed on his face, and he said, ¡°You¡¯re stalling for time? Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have time for you.¡±


    I readied myself to rush him. Only by charging him and taking the offensive could I control him. Otherwise, the birds would hinder me, and I would ultimately end up killed by Yan Yuan.


    At that critical moment, the sounds of stumbling footsteps echoed from upstairs, catching Yan Yuan by surprise. He lowered his hand, and the flock of birds responded by calming down. I looked toward the stairs and saw Zhu Jirui in a skirt. She was standing there staring at Yan Yuan with sorrow and disappointment. Somehow, she had escaped. Her hair was messy, and there was blood on her lips and tied-up hands.


    Yan Yuan was also staring at her.


    Zhu Jirui scrambled down the stairs. Although Zhu Zhongling groaned at her for help, she completely ignored him and came before Yan Yuan. Without saying anything, she let out a heart-wrenching cry and grabbed the corner of Yan Yuan¡¯s shirt.


    Veins appeared on Yan Yuan¡¯s forehead as his eyes widened with anger. ¡°Go back upstairs if you don¡¯t want to die!¡± Yan Yuan placed the dagger firmly on Zhu Jirui¡¯s neck.


    However, the latter did not care and only kept hitting Yan Yuan on the chest while crying out, ¡°You monster! We¡¯re engaged! Engaged!¡±


    Yan Yuan pushed her away.


    At that moment, I sprung forward and dealt a heavy blow to Yan Yuan¡¯s head. The latter was caught off guard and fell to the ground hard. I yelled at Zhu Jirui to run; she responded quickly by staggering to her feet and running toward the door.


    Unfortunately, a livid Yan Yuan had raised his hand, instructing the birds to block Zhu Jirui¡¯s path. I grabbed Yan Yuan¡¯s hand and twisted it, trying to subdue him. However, he was able to resist me and threw a punch toward my already injured abdomen. I let out a muffled groan and fell to the ground.


    Immediately, a group of birds surrounded me. I grabbed a chair and tossed it at them and was able to peek through the dense pack of birds. Behind this curtain of birds, I saw Yan Yuan walking toward Zhu Zhongling with a dagger in hand.

 Chapter 76: Wu Yu 10 (2)

    ¡°Brother Yu!¡±


    ¡°Brother Yu! Brother Yu!¡±


    Xiao Hua and the lot probably noticed something between Tan Jiao and me, so their teasing became even more intense. They shouted my name while looking at Tan Jiao to attract the attention of the other customers as well. Even though Tan Jiao looked calm, her ears were slightly red.


    ¡°Who told you guys to tease her?¡±


    They immediately settled down.


    She kept her head down.


    Some more food came, but everything seemed bland and tasteless. I wanted to look at her, yet I had to keep a distance. The two of us were probably the quietest people in the whole barbeque shop.


    Unexpectedly, I received a call from my university professor at that moment.


    Professor Chen was the vice dean when I was studying for my master¡¯s degree, and he treated me very well. I had some financial troubles back then, so he brought me along to do research work and shared the revenue with me. He helped me through a difficult period in my life. I had always been grateful to him, but I rarely called him after that incident.


    A few months ago, I heard that something had happened at his parent¡¯s place. Apparently, a fire had broken out, and several of his family members died. I tried several times to call him after hearing the news, but I could not reach him at all. People said that he left the university after that incident and brought his only daughter back to Yunnan.


    That was why at this moment, I felt somewhat uneasy. ¡°Professor Chen? How have you been?¡±


    The professor¡¯s voice seemed a lot older and duller. ¡°Wu Yu, I¡¯ve been well. I only heard a few days ago that you had left the school and gave up on your work. How have you been?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m alright. Living my life the way I want to.¡±


    Professor Chen let out a chuckle and said, ¡°Living the way you want to? Hehe¡­ that¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡±


    I was somewhat taken aback by that comment.


    Beside me, Xiao Hua had already come close to me to eavesdrop. ¡°Professor? Brother Yu even knows a professor?¡± ¡°Must be some professor teaching at the special forces academy.¡±


    I ignored Xiao Hua and continued my conversation while looking past Xiao Hua toward Tan Jiao. She was holding a chicken wing, with her eyes wide open looking over in my direction. When our gaze met, she quickly turned away.


    Then professor Chen asked, ¡°Wu Yu, where are you now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in Yunnan.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯m also in Yunnan. Li Xian, my hometown.¡±


    I never expected us to be staying so close to each other. In fact, Li Xian was just on the outskirts of Dali city. ¡°Professor, I don¡¯t live far. I¡¯ll come to see you tomorrow.¡±


    Professor Chen seemed pretty happy about that. ¡°That would be good if you could come. I¡­ also have something to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°Do tell.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re here, come see Ruying as well. It would be wonderful if you could stay with her for a few days. You should know that she liked you previously. After what happened to our family, her health has been deteriorating, and she has become more antisocial, unwilling to go out or make friends. I just don¡¯t want to see her ruin herself like this. So, could you come give her some guidance? I mean, she listened to you in the past.¡±


    The name Chen Ruying now felt like a name I interacted with in my previous life. It had been so long, yet the image of her face soon surfaced in my mind. She was professor Chen¡¯s only daughter, and to the poor students, she was the well-known princess in our school. She would come to the professor¡¯s lab often and would always follow me around. Back then, she would always wear white dresses, looking innocent and cute. Almost all the teachers and students in the school liked her.


    It was not that I never knew that she liked me, but she was not my type. Even though the professor had tried several times to fix her up with me, I always kept my distance from her. After some time, the professor understood my intentions and never brought it up again. Ruying still tried to cling to me though for some time, but my busy schedule ultimately proved too much even for her.

 Chapter 77: Wu Yu 10 (3)

    A few times when I brought Wu Miao out for food, Ruying insisted on tagging along. Wu Miao did not like her and bickered with her a lot. One time Wu Miao even pissed Ruying off, and she left. Then Wu Miao asked me, ¡°Bro, are you not going after her?¡±


    ¡°Why would I go after her? I didn¡¯t want her to come along.¡±


    Hearing this, Wu Miao¡¯s face immediately lit up. ¡°That¡¯s my brother. This type of white-lotus lady is not suitable for you. I sure as hell wouldn¡¯t want her to be my sister-in-law.¡±


    I let out a chuckle and asked, ¡°What type of sister-in-law would you want then?¡±


    ¡°Someone truthful and honest, not a faker. Someone that understands you, takes care of you, and wishes the best for you. Definitely not the kind Miss Cheng is: a brainless white-lotus that cares only about romance.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The nostalgia seemed like the yellowish light shining down on us, giving the room a mellow feeling and immediately enveloping me in it. I raised my face and caught Tan Jiao¡¯s gaze through the yellow hue.


    Her facial features seemed particularly delicate under the soft light. I knew she was probably eavesdropping on my conversion, yet this did not affect her eating, as half of the food on her table was already gone. Holding a glass of beer in one hand and a stick of barbequed squid in the other, Tan Jiao kept side-eying me. When I looked in her direction, she would quickly look away.


    Even though bitter feelings already filled my heart, a gentle smile appeared on my face as I looked at Tan Jiao while thinking about Wu Miao¡¯s words.


    ¡°Professor, how did Ruying change so drastically?¡±


    Professor Chen paused before saying, ¡°She saw her mother, grandmother, and aunt...die in a fire.¡±


    I was shocked.


    There was also something else I found out.


    I had to bring Wu Miao on the trip, but I was busy with work at that time, so professor Chen introduced me to that cruise we ultimately went on. At a later time, I found out that Chen Ruying and her mother had also signed up for the same trip.


    They were also on that ship.


    Afterwards, something also happened to their family.


    In the past, I would not have given it much thought. But now¡­ Something happened to them too. Could it be related to that ship? I must go and see Chen Ruying.


    ¡°Professor, I¡¯ll go see you and Ruying tomorrow.¡±


    After the call, I saw Xiao Hua and the guys looking at me with teasing smiles. ¡°Brother Yu, Ruying is a girl¡¯s name, right? You smiled when you talked about her.¡±


    When did I let out a smile while I was talking about Ruying?


    ¡°The lady you said you were thinking about, can¡¯t be her, right?¡±


    I ignored them, as I could only think about that cruise. Suddenly, I heard Tan Jiao coldly yell out, ¡°Waiter! Pack this for take-away! Check, please!¡±


    I looked up immediately and saw a never seen before coldness on her face. Her eyes were looking at the ceiling and totally avoiding me. After getting her food and change, she left without looking back at all.


    My gaze was fixed on her as she walked away. Putting down the stick of lamb skewer, I lowered my head and lit a cigarette, not feeling like talking at all. I took several deep draws before hearing Xiao Hua and the guys murmuring. ¡°Why does it look like something is off? Did that lady get pissed off? Or perhaps she became jealous?¡±


    As I stared at the burning end of the cigarette, I felt pretty frustrated.


    The next late morning, there were not many customers. It was a sunny and peaceful day. While I was fixing a car, someone gave my shoulder a tap.


    I looked up while lying on the floor and saw Xiao Hua¡¯s enigmatic smile. ¡°Brother Yu, someone signed up for the eight hundred Yuan gold membership card! There is one condition¡ªyou wash her car. I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡±


    ¡°Busy even if that lady is yesterday¡¯s miss Tan?¡±


    I looked toward the front of the shop and saw Tan Jiao standing there, back against the light, poised and calm. As if something was knocking on my heart, I walked to her slowly without putting down the wrench in my hand.

 Chapter 78: Wu Yu 10 (4)

    We looked at each other.


    She was still like that. When I got close to her, a hint of awkwardness finally appeared on her face. She looked away quickly to avoid my gaze.


    She was dressed very nicely today and looked as pretty as yesterday.


    I lowered my head to light a cigarette and leaned against the roll-up doors, taking a few draws from the cigarette quietly. Contrastingly, she simply stood there with her face slowly growing red. Several of my colleagues came by but quickly backed off after I gave them a look.


    The two of us stayed there without talking for several minutes.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already sign up for a membership? Why did you sign up for another one?¡± I initiated the conversation.


    ¡°I lost it,¡± Tan Jiao replied with a bold and confident tone.


    I repressed my emotions, put out the cigarette, and said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go wash your car.¡±


    She did not reply nor move; she only stood there.


    I walked out of the shop and saw her car that was reflecting the sunlight. It was spotless and practically dust-free. That¡¯s right, she came yesterday to get her car washed.


    Looking at the very familiar car, I picked up the hose and started washing it.


    When I was half done, I heard the clicks from a pair of high heels. Without looking back, I knew it was her, so I did not turn around.


    ¡°Wu Yu, just to be clear. I didn¡¯t ask you to wash my car because I want to cling to you. You were the one that promised to wash my car.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything for you anymore.¡±


    Looking at the immaculate car and the tall buildings that were reflecting the sun¡¯s rays, I ran the sponge across the car calmly and slowly, not willing to say anything.


    Then she said calmly again, ¡°In fact, I never really had any feelings for you. I was just mistaken when you kissed me out of nowhere and told me that we can¡¯t be together¡­.¡±


    At that moment, I threw the sponge on the ground and turned to look at her. Seemingly scared, she backed off a little. It made me realize how my actions must have been too big.


    I fell quite for a moment, suppressing the emotions rolling inside of me one more. ¡°I know, you don¡¯t need to bring it up again. I¡¯m going to Li Xian this afternoon and will probably come back in a few days. Let¡¯s talk about the ship when I come back.¡±


    Her black pupils gazed steadily at me, revealing her cold demeanor again. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bring it up again either. You¡¯re going to see that professor and Ruying? You were talking pretty loudly yesterday.¡±


    My heart ached again slightly. ¡°The professor has done many things for my family. Something happened to his family, so I need to go see him. There¡¯s also another reason: his daughter and wife were also on that ship.¡±


    Tan Jiao¡¯s expression relaxed slightly. ¡°They were on the ship too? The professor¡¯s wife and daughter? Why didn¡¯t you mention this before?¡±


    ¡°Why did I need to bring them up in the past?¡±


    She continued to look at me. For a few seconds, we fell into a lull while looking each other in the eye.


    Then out of nowhere, her gaze softened, and her tone changed as she said, ¡°Oh¡­ well, I have something to tell you. It¡¯s about the time when we returned to that ship. I talked to Zhuang Yu about it, and she said¡­¡± Tan Jiao proceeded to tell me about parallel timelines, wormholes, and a mysterious force in the universe.


    In fact, this was actually something I had thought about too. As such, when she saw that I did not look surprised, she gave me a look and said, ¡°This is what you were thinking too? I should have guessed it. Both of you are very studious.¡± She seemed somewhat disappointed.


    Looking at her gradually becoming lively once more, I felt somewhat relaxed. That urge I had that night to part ways with her seemed like something that had never happened. We were slowly going back to how we talked to each other in the past, and I was surprised that I felt relieved. I understood then that this was what my heart wanted.


    ¡°We must have encountered some mysterious power during the few days on that cruise.¡±


    She nodded and said, ¡°I think so too. But how are we going to find out what had happened?¡±


    I paused for a moment and said, ¡°There¡¯s perhaps a possibility. Tan Jiao, have you thought about the fact that we might be able to go back on that ship once more?¡±

 Chapter 79: Tan Jiao 11 (1)

    I felt strange about Wu Yu now. Looking at his face, even though it was the same face as half a month ago, I felt familiar and estranged at the same time.


    Perhaps this was how women felt when they saw heartless men.


    Not thinking clearly, I unintentionally blurted out, ¡°I want to go with you to Li Xian!¡±


    He stared at me, but all I could think about was cutting my tongue off. What was I thinking?


    That¡¯s all I can think about?


    I put on a serious look before I calmly said, ¡°Since it is related to the ship, I want to go see what the situation is like.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go. If anything happens, I would have to take care of you too. Plus, it¡¯s really not good for me to bring someone to visit the professor.¡±


    And so Wu Yu and I parted ways normally like two normal friends. As I was about to leave the shop, I even casually asked him, ¡°Oh yeah, when do you want to get the clothes you left at my place last time?¡± At that moment, he was already down on the ground, fixing another car. With his back to me, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go get it after coming back from Li Xian.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± I turned and walked away.


    After taking a few steps, I turned and looked at his thin, tank-top-covered muscular back, leaving nothing to the imagination. I felt a strong urge at that moment to give him a good punch.


    In the end, I left the place with my thoughts wandering about.


    After that, I spent the next two hours absent-minded. While eating, watching TV, or surfing the net, I felt my mind was somewhere else. A voice inside me kept reminding me that there was no chance between him and me. Perhaps it was also unlikely in the short term nor would it be possible later on as well. Knowing myself, I knew I would not cling to him as if nothing had happened. Since he had no more feelings for me, I must work hard to remove him from my heart as well.


    However, the things he said on the phone that night at the barbeque shop rang in my mind:


    Ruying...


    How did Ruying change so drastically?


    I¡¯ll go see you and Ruying tomorrow.


    Not only that, when he talked about that woman, the shadow of a gentle smile appeared on his lips even though his eyes were on me. Xiao Hua even said that the woman Wu Yu thought about was actually her?


    Although I did not believe that he would look toward me while thinking about another woman, who knows. Maybe this arrogant nerd had a girlfriend in the past? Not only that, even though he had admitted his feelings for me, he was able to easily let me go. This meant that his feelings for me were actually too shallow, making it easy for him to let go.


    I felt a sting in my heart when I thought about this.


    If he can do it, I can do it as well.


    My thoughts rolled in my mind countless times until I finally laid on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. Even though my thoughts were a mess, some thoughts had become clear to me. It was as if the flow of messy thoughts had washed through, leaving only some things behind.


    He was able to let me go. I knew I had to let him go because I could not stand being treated like this.


    But am I willing to?


    Am I willing to let go and not fall in love with him for the rest of my life? Could I instead go with someone else after having some time to recover?


    Leaving that man called Wu Yu. That arrogant man on the ship. That repairman with well-defined muscles. That man that kissed me passionately.


    Tears rolled down my face all of a sudden, and then it struck me.


    I was not willing.


    I wanted to be with him. In fact, I had not been able to get him out of my mind ever since the day I saw him. I had fallen hard for him.

 Chapter 80: Tan Jiao 11 (2)

    Sad emotions and being depressed were never my thing. Around the afternoon, I got out of bed feeling motivated again and started packing my bags. As*hole, I¡¯ll bring nothing but mini skirts! I know Wu Yu can never resist my solid color mini skirts.


    I did some math in my mind. Wu Yu said he would leave around evening, so I would definitely be quicker than him if I drove there. Wu Yu and the professor talked about the address yesterday, and I had memorized that as well.


    I did a rough search online and found that it was a village with very little tourism. However, after giving it my relentless effort, I managed to find an inn and booked a room. Either give up or go through to the end. I even booked a luxury room with a balcony facing the professor¡¯s house.


    When I finally arrived at Li Xiao, the sky was almost dark. It was my first time driving on the highway for such a long time, so I felt extremely tired after that tense drive. After checking into my room, I took a glance at professor Chen¡¯s house that was pretty far away before heading to bed.


    Professor Chen¡¯s house was located in a somewhat remote area. It was around halfway up the mountain and rather far from the village and inns around the area. Looking towards it, I saw a rustic house built from stone and wood hiding among lush trees. Wu Yu mentioned a fire yesterday. The fire happened half a year ago and almost killed professor Chen¡¯s entire family. But now, it seemed like they had renovated the house. I was quite far away, so I could not spot any damage left by the fire.


    However, I suddenly felt that professor Chen and his daughter were either gutsy or insane to want to come back to the place where their family members were killed.


    The village was not big, and there were several houses that were already empty. Even the inn I stayed in was only half-operational, having little to no customers.


    I actually felt pretty nervous coming to somewhere new and remote on a whim. All I cared about now was not letting Wu Yu discover my presence.


    However, I was still too naive.


    After the strenuous journey here, I immediately went to bed after checking into my room. When I finally woke up, it was already dark outside. There were only a few lights around the compound. There were some sounds outside, probably another customer or the lady boss. I paid no attention to it and opened the door mid-yawn.


    In the corridor, the only lamp there was outside my door, hanging right above me. That man had just closed his room door and was turning toward the front desk. I was mid-yawn and my hands were still in the air paused. Immediately, I went back into the room and shut the door swiftly. I took two steps back in disbelief as my heart raced.


    After several seconds had passed, I inched toward the door with my still very hot face and listened. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any sounds. Perhaps he didn¡¯t see me?


    Damn it, what¡¯s going on. Why didn¡¯t he go stay with the professor? Why did he stay in the same inn I was staying in and is even staying beside my room?!


    As my thoughts ran wild, I suddenly heard two knocks on my door. They rang clearly beside my ear. Faced with the enemy, I immediately retreated to my bed.


    Someone knocked on the door. Could it be him?


    ¡°Tan Jiao?¡± A familiar voice came from outside. I immediately covered my mouth and stayed silent.


    ¡°Tan Jiao.¡± His tone was more stern this time. ¡°I saw you. Open up.¡±


    Ever since I had known him, my face had never been so hot. Standing there beside my bed, I thought I was burning inside. However, my mind soon calmed down, and I went back onto the bed. Turning on the TV, I made it loud and ignored him.


    It did not seem like he was there anymore.


    I curled up, hugging my legs with my head buried in them.


    How can I be so unlucky! The summer is still not over, and Zhuang Yu is still busy with her final year exams. Wu Yu is trying to avoid me, and even his colleagues are pretending not to know me. Everything seemed abnormal but also seemed like how it ought to be. Then there was my first time trying to go after a man; instead, I caught in the act...


    ¡°Ah!¡± I screamed into my pillow with my hair messed up. At that moment, I heard some movements from the balcony beside my room. I looked up and saw Wu Yu casually vaulting over the railing between the balconies. Then those black pupils stared at me, causing my mind to immediately go blank. He slowly walked toward the room, pushed open the balcony doors, and finally stood there, gazing at me.

 Chapter 81: Tan Jiao 11 (3)

    I lowered my face toward the bedsheets and kept mum while feeling extremely awkward. But there was no way out now, as he stood there, with his strong presence filling the whole room. If he blamed me, I swore that I would leave right away.


    A few seconds later, I heard his slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡±


    I looked up at him but was unable to see clearly his expression. He was standing in a dark corner of the room, but he did not seem angry.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± My voice was significantly softer than his.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go eat then. I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± After that, he walked out the door. I watched him walk out with my mind feeling somewhat dazed.


    However, I was up and ready with my most beautiful mini skirt five minutes later. He stood outside the exit of the inn, with a cigarette in hand, wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. That was the look of the man I liked. When he saw me, he took a deep draw of his cigarette, face down. Then we walked out along the alley from the inn, with him in front, me at the back.


    It was already eight something, so the village was relatively quiet. The street lamps were high and bright, and the crickets were chirping away in the bushes. After walking quietly for a bit, he had already finished his first cigarette, lighting up his second one. The silence between us was rather uncomfortable.


    I could not take it anymore and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay at the professor¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Then, have you paid them a visit?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Didn¡¯t you say you were hungry?¡±


    There was no doubt he said that to end the conversation. With that, we walked on without saying anything more.


    As we walked into somewhere more populated, we found a few restaurants along the road. Wu Yu told me to pick one, so I did not hesitate to pick the restaurant with the most people. ¡°When it comes to picking a restaurant, the most important factor is the number of customers. This restaurant must be good if it still has customers at this hour.¡±


    I went in to have a look first. When I turned around, I found Wu Yu standing there looking somewhat unimpressed, but there was still a shadow of a smile on his face.


    I turned around not wanting to see his face, as it caused my mood to go up and down.


    We sat at a corner table, and he left ordering to me as well. I picked a few dishes and asked him about his preferences, which he promptly answered. He seemed calm now and had also finished the cigarette in his hand.


    I had no idea when I had relaxed, but when I finally took notice, a gentle smile had already developed. We are probably on good terms now.


    As friends, we...


    Who wants to be his friend?!


    I just want to have him!


    While waiting for the food to come. ¡°Call Shen Shiyan. See if he can find some details about the fire that happened at professor Chen¡¯s house.¡±


    I understood his intentions and replied, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    However, after searching through my phone¡¯s contacts, I simply could not find Shen Shiyan¡¯s number.


    ¡°Hmmm, why is it not here? I thought I had saved it. Maybe my phone has some issues, or maybe I deleted it accidentally. Give me one second, I¡¯ll look through it again. I even called him so many times.¡±


    Wu Yu held onto his cup of tea but did not drink it.


    ¡°Even my call history with him is gone. I think my phone is broken¡­¡± I muttered. Then out of nowhere, Wu Yu looked at me with shock in his eyes.


    I was a little scared but was unsure about what had happened.


    At that moment, someone clapped in the shop, which caught both of our attention. The chubby shop owner stood in the center of the shop and announced, ¡°It¡¯s the 15th of July, 2017. It¡¯s our newborn¡¯s one-year birthday! So to celebrate, everything on the menu is 20% off. I also want to thank everyone for their business!¡±


    The shop roared with joy, with many of the patrons there thanking and congratulating the shop owner.


    Looking at this scene, I totally forgot the matter at hand. ¡°How lucky of us to get a 20% discount. Should we go over to congratulate him?¡±


    When I turned to Wu Yu, I was greeted by a stern face.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked immediately after noticing that something was not right.


    Wu Yu looked me in the eye as the shop roared in celebration.


    ¡°What date did the shop owner say it was?¡± Wu Yu asked with a calm but somewhat sorrowful voice.


    I was taken aback, thinking that he probably wanted to confirm the date, or perhaps he had forgotten about something important. I looked at the date on my phone and said, ¡°It¡¯s the 15th.¡±


    Wu Yu said nothing. He looked up to the TV in the restaurant that was playing the news. Unsure about what was going on, I followed his gaze to take a glance at the news as well. The TV displayed the time as well.


    After a few seconds, he looked at me once more. I could not describe the look he had. It was as though he had just woken up from a dream. There was a strong mix of shock and pain. We looked at each other in this noisy restaurant. Finally, I discerned the look in his eyes. He was looking at me with pity.


    I did not understand what he meant, but I could feel that something was not right. I looked down and saw that my hands on the table had formed tight fists. I was tense and scared. Scared of the new truth he had discovered. Terrified about the things he was about to say.


    ¡°Tan Jiao¡­ don¡¯t you feel that something is wrong here?¡±

 Chapter 82: Wu Yu 11 (1)

    Before coming to Li Xian, I checked on something: Tan Jiao¡¯s missing membership card.


    Xiao Hua said that there was no record of it, but I figured they must have been careless with it. As such, I went to check the records.


    However, even though I had checked every page, there was no record of her making a membership card.


    Xiao Hua said with confidence, ¡°It¡¯s really not written down? Well, what can I do? There were so many customers on the opening day¡­¡±


    At that time, I felt that something was off. As for what exactly it was, I still could not tell. I looked at Xiao Hua¡¯s baby face and knew that he liked to play pranks and tease Tan Jiao and I. However, sometimes I felt that he was not joking.


    I had noticed something was off about him ever since I got back from Suzhou.


    I did not point it out to him, only observing him. Before leaving the shop, I turned and saw that the guys were once again putting up the banner about the shop opening: grand opening offer, 100 Yuan membership card for 12 car washes.


    When I got to Li Xian, it was already night. While I was on my way there, the professor called and invited me to stay at his place. I rejected his offer for no other reason. I knew Chen Ruying had feelings for me in the past. Now with the added emotional stress, I thought it might be best that I keep my distance from her.


    The matter that I did not expect was Tan Jiao following me. She even followed me to the inn I was staying at.


    ¡­¡­


    After being discovered by me, she hid in her room as if she had seen a ghost and made no noise. At that moment, I felt as if my little hedgehog had found me again. Although she was prickly, I knew very well how soft her heart was.


    Without a choice, I could only go through the balcony.


    It was night already, and the room was poorly lit. She held onto her legs, lying on the bed with her flushed face. She was unwilling to look at me.


    My heart had become cold and dead after experiencing all the pain life had thrown at me for the past year.


    Yet at this moment, in this quiet room, with these soft lights. This woman, this moment, I felt all my troubles and heartaches disappear. A gentleness had risen to the surface of my heart.


    I guess she was the one that could make me feel love and kindness again.


    I brought her out for dinner.


    Her mood gradually lightened up. Compared to her cold self, she seemed more open and talkative now. We sat at the restaurant, not feeling awkward at all. We started talking about the mysterious fate we shared.


    She noticed that she did not have Shen Shiyan¡¯s phone number saved. Scrolling a month back, there was no record of their conversations either. Yet, our work with Shen Shiyan on that abduction case was half a month ago.


    Tan Jiao¡¯s attention was on the celebration in the shop and did not notice it.


    But soon, I noticed the thing that had been bugging me. Like a beam of light, I suddenly realized the truth.


    I sat at the restaurant with my mind feeling somewhat dazed, realizing it was the 15th of July.


    Xiao Hua used to call Tan Jiao ¡®Miss Tan Jiao¡¯ and even said that the two of us seemed to have something going on. Yet now, he addresses her as ¡®Miss¡¯ and ¡®Lady¡¯ as if he had never heard of her name at all.


    Tan Jiao¡¯s membership card went missing, and there was even no record of it. It was Xiao Hua who previously helped Tan Jiao with setting up the membership card, but now he had no idea about that as well.


    They also hung up the promotion banner once more.


    Not only that, but Tan Jiao had also lost Shen Shiyan¡¯s contact and even all the call logs with him.


    When I was in Suzhou looking at her Weibo posts every day: 1st of July, the 3rd, the 5th, the 8th, the 12th. At that time, I just felt that time was going extremely slowly. I had not noticed the difference in time at all.


    ¡­¡­

 Chapter 83: Wu Yu 11 (2)

    The first instance we ever talked about time was in that small shack I lived in. Back then, Tan Jiao looked extremely pale as if her soul had left her body. Even though I was reluctant at that time, I still made it very clear to her the date and time. ¡®It¡¯s the 18th of July 2017, and a year has already passed.¡¯


    That was the third day after we first saw each other, which was on the 16th of July.


    A month later, we solved the Yan Yuan case. It was also around the end of the month that both of us returned to that ship.


    ¡­¡­


    Logically, shouldn¡¯t the date be the 1st of August 2017 when we got back from the ship?


    And not the 1st of July roughly half a month before the two of us met.


    It appeared that our time was not going forward.


    Yet, none of the people around us noticed anything odd.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Tan Jiao, you¡­ haven¡¯t noticed anything strange?¡±


    She looked at me puzzled and innocently with her sparkling eyes. Her awareness of time did not seem very good; this was evident from the fact that she did not realize that one year had passed. Now, even though the obvious fact that it was the 15th of July had been placed in front of her, she still had not realized that there was something wrong with our time.


    ¡°Tan Jiao¡­¡± I said slowly. ¡°Only our time has gone backward.¡±


    Her eyes immediately widened. For a brief moment, I saw numerous emotions flash through her eyes: fear, realization, disbelief, and panic. Just like me, her mind had sunken into deep thinking. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it again. Then she looked at me, pale-faced and shocked. ¡°How could this be¡­ How could this happen? How?¡±


    I knew she had awoken now and realized the time.


    After arriving back at the inn, the two of us still felt tense and shocked. Sitting at the end of the bed, I smoked several cigarettes before I finally calmed down. She sat on the head of the bed, not saying anything at first, probably because she had her wits shocked out of her. Soon, she began to babble. ¡°No wonder it felt odd to me when I realized Zhuang Yu was having a test again¡­ That day when we had dinner, she also seemed to not know who you were. Not only that, but she and Shen Shiyan also didn¡¯t hit it off because she hadn¡¯t met Shen Shiyan yet at this time¡­ Oh my gosh, this is totally absurd!¡±


    I knew she had gradually accepted this fact. Though the truth was terrifying and beyond our wildest imaginations, what else could we do besides accepting it as is?


    If time kept going backward, then what could we do? I felt fairly shaken when this question crossed my mind. As for other potential problems, I could not care about them for the time being.


    ¡°Does this mean that we have not caught Yan Yuan yet? And that we have not met his crazy friend?¡± Tan Jiao asked all of a sudden.


    ¡°Check online.¡±


    Tan Jiao turned on the computer, and sure enough, there were only reports of two cases of abductions so far. In fact, the police had not even started investigating it yet.


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    ¡°Are you able to contact Shen Shiyan?¡±


    Tan Jiao flipped through her phone again, checking the chat she had with the matchmaker that probably still had Shen Shiyan¡¯s number there. Then she called him and placed it on speaker.


    ¡°Shen Shiyan!¡± she called out impatiently.


    The man on the other side of the call stayed quiet for a bit before asking, ¡°Tan Jiao? What¡­ what is it?¡±


    She said urgently, ¡°Listen to me! I¡¯ll ask you a question, you answer it! Number one, have you guys caught Yan Yuan and Xu Zifeng?¡±


    ¡°Who? Who are they?¡±

 Chapter 84: Wu Yu 11 (3)

    Tan Jiao and I looked at each other, and I saw a look of disappointment in her eyes. She then asked, ¡°The second question: do you know Wu Yu and Zhuang Yu¡­ No, I mean Zhou Xiaoyu. Do you know them?¡±


    After a brief moment of silence, Shen Shiyan replied, ¡°I also have no idea who these two people are. Tan Jiao, did you...encounter some troubles?¡±


    Tan Jiao interrupted him and said, ¡°Last question: did the two of us meet after I rejected you? Or did we ever call each other?¡±


    This time, Shen Shiyan¡¯s silence was longer, yet his answer was also very clear. ¡°No.¡±


    Tan Jiao¡¯s voice softened as she thanked him and ended the call.


    Shen Shiyan called back almost immediately. Tan Jiao took a glance at her phone but did not answer it.


    She seemed reluctant and said, ¡°I¡¯ll call Zhuang Yu again.¡±


    The result of the call was similar to Shen Shiyan¡¯s. Zhuang Yu was still taking her finals. She had not met Shen Shiyan nor me, and she knew nothing about Yan Yuan¡¯s case. As for Xiao Hao, he was naturally still safe with his grandparents and had not encountered the birds or any danger.


    After the two calls, Tan Jiao sat on the bed in a daze, an expression which I seldom saw. I poured her a cup of water, and she thanked me for it. I sat at the end of the bed, just a foot away from her, looking at her silently.


    She recovered soon and asked after a while, ¡°Wu Yu, we¡­ what do we do? No one would believe what we say. Would the two of us become kids?... Damn it, I don¡¯t want that. I still have so many things I need to experience¡­¡±


    Falling into a lull as well, I also could not accept the bleak future she painted for us. ¡°We¡¯ll decide when it comes to it. I¡¯ll protect you so just stick with me.¡±


    I looked at her and her slightly bloodshot and watery eyes, but she quickly looked away to somewhere else and muttered, ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s only the two of us that are going back in time? Everyone else has forgotten about everything, so they are moving forward in time?¡±


    What she said was right on point.


    ¡°It seems so. I wonder what would happen to the other people on the ship?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± She looked particularly smart and alert when she was back to herself again. ¡°This reverse of time is not day by day. We went from the 16th to the 30th, then from the 1st to the 15th. It jumps in segments, almost feels like it¡¯s segments of a video edited together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. One cycle is half a month.¡±


    Looking slightly shocked, Tan Jiao asked, ¡°Cycle? You mean¡­¡±


    I was somewhat excited and put out my bold assumption. ¡°Tan Jiao. The flow of time changed half a month after we met each other. That¡¯s when we first returned to the ship. Now it¡¯s almost half a month again.¡±


    With a cracked voice, she asked, ¡°You mean¡­ we¡¯ll return to that ship tonight again?!¡±


    I was sure now that what I made was the correct decision.


    Our lives had become such a twisted mess that no one would believe us even if we told them. If I had disregarded everything and fallen in love with her, then if I lose her in the future, if time goes back to a point where the two of us forget each other. Then what would happen to us? Tan Jiao was a good girl, and I should not bring her down with me.


    I did not want to lose anyone dear to me anymore.


    Even though I could not control my heart from falling for her, I could not let my inner urges go wild. What¡¯s more, I had not saved Wu Miao or my mother yet. Why would I have the right to fall in love with someone? It was even possible that I would die in order to save my family.


    I knew I could not be with Tan Jiao.

 Chapter 85: Wu Yu 11 (4)

    To ¡®successfully¡¯ return to the ship, the two of us agreed to go to sleep. However, after lying on the bed for a long while, I still did not have the urge to sleep. And so I got up and went out to the hall.


    There were probably only us staying in this inn tonight.


    Her room was not lit up, so maybe she was asleep? Not surprising considering she had always been able to sleep fine even if something traumatic happened. Thinking about this, I let out a gentle smile and lit up a cigarette. Sitting on a sofa, I started enjoying my cigarette.


    After a while, I heard the door to her room open. With a coat draped on, she came out in her pajamas and a pair of slippers. I stayed where I was while she sat beside me and asked, ¡°You couldn¡¯t sleep as well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°What do we do? If both of us can¡¯t fall asleep, would we be unable to go back onto the ship? Last time, it happened while we were asleep.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just go with the flow and see how things go.¡±


    ¡°You sure are chill about it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use in panicking? Do you think we would have the ability to fight back against such a mysterious force?¡±


    Tan Jiao became quiet for a while when she heard my reply. Perhaps it was too cold. Then she said, ¡°There are some things where you won¡¯t know until you try.¡±


    As if my heart was whipped by her words, I looked at her and saw a vague light of hope in her eyes. It was the eyes of the woman I could not truly figure out. I took a deep draw from my cigarette and did not respond.


    ¡°You should sleep early,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in after finishing my cigarette.¡±


    There was another brief lull between us again before she suddenly reached over and took my cigarette away. I turned to her and saw that she had hidden the cigarette behind her back. ¡°You¡¯ve been smoking a lot lately. Aren¡¯t you going to save your mother and sister and protect me? Are you able to with the number of cigarettes you¡¯re smoking?¡±


    I felt somewhat hurt by that and said, ¡°Give me my cigarette.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I tried grabbing it from her, but she seemed determined with her head held up. She had a hint of playfulness in her eyes. My hand reached behind her back while my face became very close to hers. I finally found her hand and felt my cigarette. When that happened, she looked up at me and looked at me lovingly.


    There were only the two of us here.


    In this hall, in the darkness, on this long sofa, there were only the two of us.


    She stayed there motionless, but I felt that her body was slightly trembling. It seemed like she had made some sort of difficult decision and slowly closed her eyes.


    I quickly grabbed the cigarette and moved away from her. At the same time, I let her go.


    In the peaceful and quiet hall, I could not help but curse at myself, Wu Yu, you piece of shit!


    She opened her eyes and looked somewhat disappointed with a hint of disdain.


    ¡°Tan Jiao¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She casually interrupted me. ¡°You can smoke if you want to, I was just concerned as a friend. I won¡¯t stop you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Just¡­ do what you want.¡±


    Then she got up and entered her room, slamming the door behind her.


    I sat there for a little longer, but when I was about to go into my room, I noticed a room lighting up at professor Chen¡¯s house miles away. I looked up naturally and saw that the light came from a balcony on the second floor.


    A person came out.


    It was Chen Ruying.


    I could see clearly the white pajamas she had on. She looked very skinny with her face seeming particularly pointed. Her long hair was down, and her face looked pale. She pressed her lips tightly and had a dull look in her eyes, standing there in the darkness of the mountain, alone on the balcony. Then out of nowhere, a creepy smile gradually developed on her face.


    I was shocked.


    This was not like her.


    She was not like this before she went on the ship.

 Chapter 86: Tan Jiao 12 (1)

    I slowly opened my eyes to be greeted by the cloudy skies outside the ship. The mountains on both sides were now hidden behind a layer of fog, making everything seem quieter.


    The last thing I could remember was Wu Yu and I sitting in the hall together at the inn.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± A worried and gentle voice sounded.


    I raised my head and saw Wu Miao and Wu Yu sitting on the bed next to me. Similar to me, Wu Yu also had one hand on the bed to support himself and looked very exhausted. Wu Miao was helping him, but she came to give me a hand when she saw me wake up.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said with a tired smile.


    I met Wu Yu¡¯s gaze. His eyes showed that he was calm and logical. After taking a glance at his watch, he said, ¡°Only about a minute has passed.¡±


    I was shocked and nodded my head.


    It seemed that we had returned to Wu Miao¡¯s room, and only a minute had passed since the last time we fainted. This meant that the time here had continued even though we had come back twice.


    We had still returned to one year ago.


    With her eyes wide open, Wu Miao asked, ¡°What are you guys talking about? Why did you two become unwell all of a sudden?¡±


    Wu Yu got up and said, ¡°We¡¯re fine. Wu Miao, later on, why did you not¡­¡±


    He stopped his question halfway into it. I looked at him and said nothing. His mind was probably a mess as well being this stressed about her sister. Later on, Wu Miao was reported as missing rather than murdered. However, in this timeline, nothing had happened yet. As such, how could Wu Yu ask his sister about what had happened?


    Outside, it started to rain again. Dark clouds gathered, and it seemed like the weather was going to be bad.


    Around evening, the three of us went to the restaurant on the ship. Compared to our heavy hearts, Wu Miao looked much more relaxed, juggling plates at the buffet counter and bringing us plate after plate of hot food.


    I looked at her and could not help but tell Wu Yu, ¡°Your sister is really cute.¡±


    Wu Yu looked at her as well and said with a gentle smile, ¡°Looking at her running around, I really don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m dreaming.¡±


    His words made my heart ache a little. However, when I saw how happy he was now compared to how he avoided me last night, I felt somewhat disappointed.


    I was placed behind his sister, his mother, and his determination to make things right. I was sure of that. Even though I should not think like this, as it was petty, I still felt sad.


    Wu Miao soon came with another two plates of food. ¡°Hehe¡­ my goddess, brother, I got us some freshly brought out salmon and crab legs. Come, have some!¡±


    I was somewhat affected by her smile. Why should I be thinking about such trivial things? After all, there was no guarantee which timeline this mysterious power would toss us to.


    I took the plate and said, ¡°You sure are a capable girl!¡±


    Wu Miao quickly sat beside me and said, ¡°Thank you for your compliments, goddess!¡±


    The two of us sat together with laughter and joy while Wu Yu looked at us with a gentle smile. However, I noticed that his eyes were always on me. I took a bite of that succulent crab leg meat and did not care about it.


    ¡°Ah Miao, do you remember what I told you? You must not forget what I said, okay?¡±


    Wu Miao rolled her eyes with an ¡®Obviously¡¯ look on her face and said, ¡°I know, I know. You said this like ten times in the past three hours. On the 4th of August, call the police and tell them that someone suspicious has been following me. Tell them that I need protection for the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th. If the police are not willing, then just stay at the police station. Brother, how would someone like you even make an enemy that would come after me for revenge? Also, how would you know the specific date and time they would come after me?¡±


    ¡°Just do as I say.¡± Wu Yu¡¯s plan was backed by reasons. At that time, the serial killer had murdered four others. If Wu Miao went to the police, it would surely attract the attention of the police, which would give her more protection. This was definitely better than advising her to just stay at home alone like last time.


    Wu Miao glanced at me and said, ¡°My goddess, you see? That¡¯s what my brother is like. He¡¯s a dictator, a machismo¡­ If someone is able to tame him, that woman must be very capable and will definitely be someone I admire!¡±


    Listening to her complaint filled with double entendre, I merely smiled gently and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. I wonder who would be so lucky.¡±


    Wu Yu took a sip from his cup and said nothing after giving me a glance.


    But sometimes, it was best not to say such things. As soon as I said that, a woman appeared before our table and said in a sweet voice, ¡°Ah Yu, Ah Miao! You guys are here too!¡±

 Chapter 87: Tan Jiao 12 (2)

    Ah Yu.


    She called him Ah Yu.


    The lady that came over had great posture, a lovable smile, and an air of fragrance around her. In everyone¡¯s eyes, she was no doubt a beautiful young lady. However, our dull faces met her warm greeting. Wu Yu merely raised his eyes to look at her. There was no excitement in his eyes nor did he say anything. Wu Miao even rolled her eyes and made it very obvious that she was irritated.


    I finished my piece of salmon in one go.


    To be honest, Chen Ruying definitely fitted the image of a lovable lady. She was beautiful, with her upturned eyes and natural smile that added sweetness to her appearance. She had a good looking body and fair skin. Even a very hard-to-pull-off white dress looked extremely elegant on her. There was no doubt that most men would fall for her for sure.


    With that thought, I suddenly took a glance at Wu Yu and saw that he had only given her a nod of acknowledgment before continuing with his food again.


    I felt somewhat pleased, but not very pleased. But what else could I do? Might as well not look at her anymore and continue eating.


    Unexpectedly, she made the first move to ask about me, ¡°Ah Yu, who¡¯s this elder sister?¡±


    Elder sister?! I¡¯m only 24! I¡¯m only three years older than you and still two years younger than Wu Yu!


    Wu Miao suddenly interjected and said, ¡°Oh. She¡¯s my brother¡¯s new girlfriend. He brought her on holiday this time.¡± After saying that, Wu Miao even poked me with her elbow, signaling for me to play along.


    Girl, what¡¯s the use of giving me a hint? The reluctant young master is sitting right there.


    I stayed quiet for a moment. Unexpectedly, Wu Yu also remained silent, continuing to eat his food, remaining nonchalant about Wu Miao¡¯s comment. To others, silence meant acknowledgment.


    Almost immediately, I felt Chen Ruying¡¯s innocent but sorrowful gaze linger on Wu Yu before finally coming to me.


    I raised my face and calmly met her gaze.


    ¡°Is that so¡­ Ah Yu, why haven¡¯t I heard you mention this¡­¡± Cheng Ruying said weakly.


    I felt somewhat guilty now. I never knew Wu Yu could put up such a cold front in front of other ladies. He definitely was capable of being heartless.


    ¡°Where¡¯s your mother?¡± Wu Yu asked.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± As if she was exiting a daze, Chen Ruying said, ¡°My mother she¡­ she feels somewhat sea sick and is resting in the room.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see her after dinner.¡±


    Joy briefly appeared in Chen Ruying¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you then. Let¡¯s go back together.¡± Wu Yu responded with only a yes. During the entire conversation, Chen Ruying did not look at me anymore. Even after she got her food, she did not come to sit with us. Instead, she sat at a table that we could see. Sitting there alone, quietly eating her food. Honestly, she had a somewhat elegant appearance like that.


    When she finally left, Wu Miao immediately said, ¡°Brother. Why are you going to her room? Didn¡¯t I just help you get rid of that trouble by using my goddess¡¯s name?¡± After she said that, she gave me a you-know-what-I¡¯m-talking-about look.


    I lowered my face and kept silent.


    ¡°Professor Chen¡¯s wife is unwell. I have to pay her a visit at least. Not only that, but I also have some important things to ask her.¡± Then he turned his gaze to me and said, ¡°Tan Jiao, you¡¯re coming with us.¡±


    Wu Miao¡¯s eyes immediately sparkled. ¡°Wooo¡­¡±


    I said casually, ¡°Why should I go with you two? I¡¯d rather stay with Wu Miao.¡±


    Right as I said that, I felt an almost threatening gaze on me. Wu Miao looked at him then at me.


    ¡°Tan Jiao, now is not the time for tantrums.¡±


    Those words, those gentle words, suddenly made me speechless. It was as though an invisible fence had come around me. It wrapped around my heart that had previously felt betrayed by love. I raised my head towards him and saw his calm and stable gaze. At the same time, I saw Wu Miao¡¯s silly smile like she was watching some sort of drama...

 Chapter 88: Tan Jiao 12 (3)

    It was truly an awkward combination. Cheng Ruying, who stood waiting at the door of the restaurant, became somewhat pale when she saw Wu Yu and I walking to her.


    I was never a petty person. Usually, I was more forgiving and kind. Of course, that was unless someone had pissed me off. Since Chen Ruying was playing the damsel in distress card and not actively trying to provoke me, I kept my silence and followed Wu Yu.


    ¡°Ah Yu, when did you meet this elder sister?¡± Chen Ruying asked with a smile she barely managed to produce.t


    I also wanted to know what Wu Yu would say.


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Chen Ruying became speechless.


    I looked out the window toward the cloudier and cloudier sky and saw several of those black birds. Were they hiding some sort of mystery? Something from the past or the future?


    Chen Ruying asked something again, this time turning to me with a smile. ¡°Elder sister. Did you go after Ah Yu? Or did Ah Yu go for you?¡±


    Now this was somewhat being a busybody.


    After a brief moment of silence, I said, ¡°It was Ah Yu... he held my hand to light up his cigarette.¡±


    Chen Ruying was taken aback, and her smile became stiff. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    As usual, the man in front did not respond or turn to glance at me.


    Seeing that we were almost at the room, Chen Ruying suddenly turned to me with a cheeky smile and said, ¡°That¡¯s not right, elder sister. Ah Yu never smokes. He hates people who smoke.¡± The joy in her eyes was almost tangible, and this made me somewhat annoyed. Then I casually responded, ¡°You can ask him whether he smokes or not.¡±


    Chen Ruying looked toward Wu Yu.


    Wu Yu only said two words. ¡°I smoke.¡±


    Though Chen Ruying looked shocked, she did not say anything more.


    She took out the room key, opened the door, and said, ¡°Mother, Ah Yu and his¡­ his friend has come to see you.¡±


    I curled my lip briefly upon hearing that before following Wu Yu in.


    I had only taken a brief look at the mother and daughter pair that day at the restaurant. Now that I had a good look at them, they definitely had that rich family look to them. They dressed up decently without being too over the top. To be honest, I liked Chen Ruying¡¯s mother more. Additionally, I did not expect her mother to be so young.


    The glass door to the balcony was closed, probably to prevent the wind from coming in. Chen Ruying¡¯s mother, Feng Yan, got up from the bed. Wu Yu had mentioned that Feng Yan was in her forties. Yet looking at her now, she seemed like someone in her thirties. She had on a casual but decent blouse matched with a dress. Her slender figure was well balanced with her full cheeks. Her gaze was gentle and calm, giving off a hint of gratefulness. Overall, she gave people the impression that she was no ordinary woman.


    However, this woman would still die in a fire half a year later.


    She let out a smile upon seeing Wu Yu. ¡°Ah Yu, you came.¡± Then she turned her gaze to me and examined me with curiosity.


    Wu Yu, with his back straight, greeted Feng Yan with a respectable tone. ¡°How are you feeling, ma''am?¡±


    Feng Yan shook her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m alright. Just a bit seasick. And who might this be?¡±


    ¡°My friend, Tan Jiao.¡± I smiled and greeted her. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Feng Yan was obviously an observant person. She gave me a smile before glancing at her daughter beside her.


    After chit-chatting with her a little more, Wu Yu suddenly asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, have you noticed anything special that happened on this ship during these past few days?¡±


    Feng Yan was slightly taken aback and said, ¡°Not that I know of. What do you mean?¡±


    From her reaction, it did not seem like she was bluffing. Chen Ruying interjected and said, ¡°Ah Yu, you don¡¯t seem like yourself these days. Are you facing some troubles? If you let mother and father know, they¡¯ll surely help you.¡± After saying that, she even gave me a casual glance.


    For some reason, I felt somewhat unhappy with what she said. Feng Yan probably felt that her daughter¡¯s words might have been inappropriate, so she touched her hand and signaled for her to not continue. However, Wu Yu only smiled and said to Feng Yan, ¡°I¡¯ve been well.¡±


    We left their room, and at last, Chen Ruying did not come along.


    ¡°It seems¡­nothing strange has happened to them yet.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Right then, as we were walking through the corridor, I saw a familiar couple walking past us. All smiles and laughter, as if they had never met Wu Yu and I before, treating us like total strangers. There was not even the slightest change in their expressions.


    Wu Yu also saw Yan Yuan and Zhu Jirui.


    ¡°The people that went back in time are definitely just you and me. They don¡¯t seem to know us yet.¡±


    Wu Yu did not reply.


    ¡°It seems the time we¡¯ve spent here is a little longer this time. Will we continue on like this and not go back to one year later?¡±


    ¡°That would be the best for me if that happens.¡±


    We arrived in front of my room, and he just stood there while I looked for my room card. I could feel his eyes on me, but I did not care. After opening the door, I went in and said nothing to him. Even when I shut the door, he only stood there and said nothing.

 Chapter 89: Wu Yu 12 (1)

    The following day and night were peaceful on the ship. Only the weather somewhat worried me. It had been raining continuously for the whole night, and even during the day it would drizzle sometimes. The passengers complained a lot about this, as the clouds blocked off the scenery on both sides. However, even though there were many that complained, no one talked about getting off the ship. After all, the ship had gone somewhere uninhabited.


    I went to the captain about this, but the captain seemed confident. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young man. There¡¯s a huge dam downstream that regulates the water. I¡¯ve seen worse weather and gone through them without a problem.¡±


    His explanation seemed logical, and there did not seem to be anything to worry about. However, Tan Jiao and I knew that something abnormal would surely happen.


    Yet, none of us could have imagined how this mysterious force would appear before us. That was also my first time witnessing the power of nature.


    On the second evening, the ship came to a plateau lake. The sky was unexpectedly clear, making the trip seem unusually peaceful. My mood also became somewhat relaxed.


    The ship arrived before the grassy plains, and a guide brought us down, introducing the place proudly. ¡°This place is totally undeveloped. A primitive plain untouched by civilization...¡±


    I helped Wu Miao down the ship while Tan Jiao followed behind us. When Wu Miao got down, I put out my hand toward Tan Jiao. She ignored my hand and stepped off the ship with one step. Then a smile formed on her lips as she went to Wu Miao.


    I could only follow behind them, watching her.


    ¡°Ah Yu¡­¡± Chen Ruying called out to me from not far away. Her pace hastened, seemingly to catch up to me.


    I ignored her and walked faster as well.


    After we got off, everyone spread out across the plains.


    I had to say that the scenery here was truly breathtaking. The mountains around us were all unique and beautifully carved by nature. It was as though some powerful being in the universe had hidden his prized artwork here. The water in the lake was blue and clear. It was not the blue we see from the ocean, but rather a sort of peaceful blue.


    The grassland was vast and endless. We were surrounded by green, blue, red, and yellow. All of these colors were pure. It was so pure that it made the place look extremely peaceful. This really seemed like a place that no one had discovered yet.


    Those birds were also here.


    They flew above the lake, neither looking at Tan Jiao or me, nor at Yan Yuan or Zhu Jirui who were not far from us. The birds did not seem to recognize us and did not fly together in groups like they did in the future. I stared at them for a while, and when I turned to Tan Jiao, I saw her standing there looking at them as well.


    I sat down beside the lake and started smoking. I had bought the cigarettes on the ship. When Wu Miao came to me, she exclaimed, ¡°Brother, you¡¯re smoking! Seriously?! I¡¯ll tell mom about this!¡±


    I let out a chuckle and said, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. I didn¡¯t tell mom about you reading romance novels.¡± Wu Miao immediately kept quiet after that.


    Tan Jiao was with Wu Miao, and she still did not look at me. At some point in time, the two of them had taken off their shoes and were walking on the sandy shore beside the lake. With the sun in my face, I squinted and looked at them.


    Compared to Wu Miao who constantly moved about, looking left and right like a hyperactive child, Tan Jiao seemed to be simply enjoying the walk. The sun shone on her shiny, silky black hair. She had on a seemingly soft t-shirt matched with a black short skirt. She looked so plain, yet my gaze could not move away from her. After the skirt was her legs, those beautiful slender legs that looked angelic.


    I had noticed them very early on.

 Chapter 90: Wu Yu 12 (2)

    She would turn occasionally and stand still. Her long hair rested on her shoulders. Sometimes, she would look impressed, and at other times, she would have a genuine smile on her face. She looked free-spirited and innocent. Without me noticing, I had already stared at her for some time. Currently, those worries I had about being with her were creeping up in my mind again.


    I took several big gulps of water, and when I placed the water bottle down, I noticed her staring at me. From such a distance away, I could see a hint of warmth in her eyes again; they were not so cold anymore. She looked peaceful, revealing that gentle side of her that had been hiding away. We stared at each other for a few seconds. I knew she could not see my facial expression clearly. Then she lowered her face and kicked the sandy floor a few times.


    I leaned back with my arms supporting me to look up at the sky, thinking to myself that I should control myself.


    All of a sudden, an umbrella came and blocked my blue sky and sunshine.


    I frowned.


    With a very innocent look, Chen Ruying came beside me and said, ¡°Ah Yu, I didn¡¯t believe you when you said it yesterday. But¡­ you really do smoke?¡±


    I looked at the cigarette in my hand and took a few draws from it, ignoring her.


    She sat beside me, which annoyed me. I wanted to move away. She asked, ¡°You like this type of girl, hah? She does look like a good girl. Easy going and beautiful. No wonder you¡¯d fall for her,¡± Chen Ruying said with a smile. I had never expected her to say this, which somewhat changed my opinion of her a little. I let out a smile and said nothing.


    ¡°You only smile when I mention her, huh?¡± Chen Ruying suddenly muttered.


    I shut my eyes and said, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ are you serious about her, Ah Yu?¡±


    I heard myself say, ¡°I¡¯m serious about her. I like her a lot.¡±


    There was a lull before Chen Ruying said, ¡°Oh, but hear me out. You¡¯re among the few top university students in the whole country. You even got your master¡¯s degree. That day, I overheard her and Wu Miao conversing, and it seems like she did not even go to a recognized national university. She didn¡¯t even do well in her studies. If you stay together, you¡¯ll definitely have plenty of challenges to overcome. I guess with such a huge difference between you two, there would be difficulty communicating, right? I¡­ am telling you this as a friend. But maybe I¡¯m thinking too much into this. Father did say that you would have a bright future, mainly because you¡¯re a very logical person.¡±


    After staying quiet for a bit, I opened my eyes and said without looking at her, ¡°Actually, to me, I don¡¯t really care how others look at her. But Chen Ruying, from what you said just now, I could not feel a hint of friendliness. That¡¯s why I think I must make it clear to you: you don¡¯t understand her at all. She¡­ she is actually someone that many adore. And I¡¯m the one that is average and normal.


    My mind immediately thought about the day when I first met her at the repair shop. She came to the shop in a bright orange SUV; her silky hair was down, with a natural smile on her face. She was such an attractive lady. She attracted the attention of all the guys at the repair shop. On the other hand, I was at the corner of the shop, covered in dust, hands greasy, smelling of sweat, and looking somewhat depressed.


    I smiled unknowingly and said, ¡°She¡¯s like my little sun. My only sun in this world of mine.¡± After saying that, I shut my eyes once more and ignored Chen Ruying.


    With Chen Ruying¡¯s footsteps gradually fading away, my surroundings finally became quiet.


    I was unsure how, but I fell asleep then and there. Then at some point in time, maybe a few minutes later, I suddenly felt someone sitting on me. That familiar fragrance made me subconsciously hold onto her while I opened my eyes.

 Chapter 91: Wu Yu 12 (3)

    It really was Tan Jiao. Her cheeks were red as she leaned on my chest, looking somewhat panicked. Wu Miao stood a short distance away, made a face at me, and then ran away giggling.


    Immediately, Tan Jiao got up and moved aside. ¡°Wu Miao pushed me.¡±


    I did not want to let go. But in the end, I controlled my urge.


    ¡°She¡¯s just being mischievous.¡±


    The two were probably playing beside me when I was asleep, and then Wu Miao pushed Tan Jiao onto me. The two of us stayed quiet for a while before Tan Jiao said, ¡°I¡¯ve told Wu Miao to contact Shen Shiyan after she gets off the ship. I told her to tell him she¡¯s a friend. Shen Shiyan is someone reliable, and as soon as he discovers something suspicious, he¡¯ll investigate it. I figured one more person to look after her would be better.¡±


    I did not expect her to say this. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Tan Jiao chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    I felt like her attitude toward me had changed somewhat. Compared to the past few days of coldness and thorniness, she seemed to have recovered her natural smile. I was not sure what had caused her to change her attitude, but I was sure the stuffy feeling in my heart had slowly dissipated.


    ¡°Wu Miao found out about me smoking and wants to tell my mother,¡± I said somewhat casually.


    Tan Jiao smiled gently and said, ¡°You deserve it!¡±


    The sun shone on us while the gentle breeze brought the smell of the lake and grass to us. The two of us did not speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to go!¡± the guide yelled from a far. We looked up and saw that several people had already returned to the ship. At some point in time, Wu Miao had returned to the ship. Currently, she was waving at us from the deck. There were still other people that had not returned.


    I stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Tan Jiao stood up as well but frowned and looked down all of a sudden. I looked down as well and saw a shallow cut on her foot.


    ¡°I probably hit a rock when Wu Miao pushed me.¡±


    Immediately, U said, ¡°Let me take a look. Sit down.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± she replied and obediently sat down.


    I kneeled down before her and was surprised. Thinking back¡ªno, it was in the future, ¡ªshe and I would meet again like this at that football field one year later. At that time, I had also checked her wound.


    Even though it had happened quite recently,it felt like a distant matter now that I thought about it. Perhaps she thought about the same thing, but she lowered her face as well and said nothing.


    I picked her foot up and took a look. It did not seem too bad. Her foot was now resting on my hand, moving ever so slightly. As a result, I could not ignore her beautiful, slender, and pale foot. Although her foot was pale, there was a healthy red glow underneath.


    I held onto her foot and did not move. There was absolutely no one around us, just the gentle breeze blowing by.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I asked.


    Perhaps she was nervous or shy about it, but her toes suddenly flexed. I subconsciously held onto her foot and looked up to find her slightly red face and watery eyes.


    ¡°It hurts, Ah Yu,¡± she said gently.


    My heart jumped all of a sudden as I felt a dryness in my throat. I looked at her eyes, let go of her foot, and said, ¡°Bare with it. We¡¯ll be on the ship soon. You should be fine.¡±


    She got up and said nothing.


    We walked toward the ship, and after a while, she muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t want you to carry me. After all¡­ men and women shouldn¡¯t be so close.¡±

 Chapter 92: Wu Yu 12 (4)

    Shortly after we decided to walk back to the ship, that event happened.


    I have never personally experienced a natural disaster. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods were all matters I had only ever seen on the news. However, what happened today was beyond what I had ever seen. It was more mysterious, swifter, and definitely more terrifying.


    The sky darkened all of a sudden in one or two minutes. The sun was nowhere to be seen, and the clouds had gathered above as if all the dark clouds from the past few days had come together.


    Everyone noticed the dramatic change in weather. The tour guide yelled out immediately, ¡°Hey, you guys! Come to the ship, quick!¡±


    I grabbed Tan Jiao¡¯s hand and started to run. There were six to seven others around us. The Yan Yuan couple was here, Chen Ruying and her mother were here, and there were two other males and one other female.


    Tan Jiao and I were at the front of the group. Not long after, it started to pour.


    Loud rumbling filled the air as flashes of lightning ripped through the skies. Tan Jiao was shaking in fear as she said, ¡°Wu Yu, did we get struck by lightning, and that¡¯s how we began to time travel? Oh my gosh!¡± At a time like this, I still found her comments to be hilarious.


    ¡°If we got struck by lightning, we would¡¯ve been dead already. We wouldn¡¯t be going through all this crap now.¡± I held her close to me. The weather now was unsuitable for us to risk it and run around. What if, as she said, we got struck by lightning? I started to look around the area, looking for some sort of shelter to hide in.


    The people behind me were probably thinking about the same thing. They all stopped. Yan Yuan had his arm around Zhu Jirui, while Chen Ruying and her mother came to me together. ¡°Ah Yu, what do we do? I¡¯m scared.¡±


    At that moment, I suddenly noticed the ship at the lake slowly moving in a certain direction.


    Why was it moving? Despite the storm, the lake would not create waves huge enough to move such a heavy ship. Could it be that the controls on the ship had issues?


    No, that could not be.


    That was not it.


    I did not hear the sound of the rain nor the people around me. All I could focus on was what I saw in the distance, with my normal eyes, the ship moving ever faster.


    The people on the ship were feeling it too and began to panic and run. I saw Wu Miao as well, holding onto the railing on the deck, looking at us with fear in her eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened to the ship?¡± Someone behind me noticed this as well.


    ¡°Wu Yu! Look over there!¡± Tan Jiao screamed.


    ¡°There¡¯s a whirlpool in the lake!¡± Yan Yuan, who had been quiet all this while, suddenly yelled out. His observational skills were good after all.


    My heart fell as I turned to see the whirlpool that was now at the center of the lake, the size of around two football fields. It was still shallow, but it was noticeably growing deeper and deeper.


    Was it because of an earthquake or some other natural disaster?


    Something in my heart collapsed at that moment.


    ¡°Wu Miao!¡± I yelled out. I turned to Tan Jiao and said, ¡°Wait for me here!¡± Through the rain, I saw her eyes widen as if something in her eyes had also collapsed.


    ¡°No! Wu Yu, you mustn''t go!¡± She tried to hold me back.


    I ran toward the ship.


    I heard footsteps behind me. She was trying to follow me.


    However, I could not stop now. I could not be valuing my life more than hers, knowing that Wu Miao would be extremely terrified right now. Knowing that I was not beside her as she held on for dear life on that swaying ship.


    I knew how scared she was when that person kidnapped her in the dark alley. She must have dearly wished that day I had agreed to go with her. I knew how terrified she must have been to be locked up in a dark place, watching that scum come close to her with a knife. I knew she must have suffered tremendously under the physiological and physical pain, losing her consciousness slowly, losing her life slowly.


    At a moment like this, she needed her big brother. She needed her big brother to calm the storms and protect her. Even if I could not hold onto her hand to comfort her, I must at least let her see that there was still hope.

 Chapter 93: Wu Yu 12 (5)

    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me, Tan Jiao!¡± I yelled out. ¡°Go over there and stay with them! Stay away from the lake!¡±


    ¡°You told me to follow you!¡± she screamed out with a hint of sadness. I felt an ache in my heart, but I suppressed it.


    Ultimately, she was not fast enough, and I outran her. Finally, I arrived at the side of the lake, but there were still about ten meters between me and the ship.


    I looked up and saw Wu Miao¡¯s eyes and her mouth moving as if to say, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t come over¡­¡± At that moment, I had nothing in my mind, only the image of Wu Miao and somewhere in the city far away, our mother looking at us with her smile. The two of them were still alive now.


    I was about to jump into the lake and swim over.


    However, at that moment, I looked at the lake. I stood there before this impressive lake alone, witnessing the strangest thing I had ever seen in my life. Lightning strikes filled the grey sky as thunder rumbled and winds gushed with rain. Despite the large size of the lake, all that water headed in one direction as if an invisible mighty hand was stirring it.


    Not only was the water spinning, but it was also going down.


    The water level of the lake was dropping at a noticeable rate.


    What did this mean? This meant that a huge hole had opened up under the lake, and the water was entering the hole, resulting in the massive whirlpool. Even a ship like the Yunnan Beauty would be pulled by this force and shredded.


    I raised my head to the skies, looked at this stunning scene, and felt totally numb.


    At that moment.


    I felt the ground below me collapse. I was shocked, but a large quantity of water had buried my head before I could do anything. In an instant, I had fallen five to four meters down! Then the force from the slurry of mud and water slammed me into a rock before I continued down.


    Everything around me was collapsing; it was as if the whole world was collapsing. As this slurry pushed me around, I suddenly understood that the force was not only going to suck up the water, but also the land around it.


    Tan Jiao!


    Her name suddenly flashed into my mind. I had abandoned her and left her on her own! My heart ached once more as I tried my best to turn around to find her.


    Above me, the ground had split and shattered. The flashes of lightning lighting up the surroundings made me feel as if I had fallen into another realm. The ground was breaking into pieces, and there was a slight glow below the lake. Everything was moving at an incredible speed toward somewhere deeper.


    I saw a few people in the water. They were Chen Ruying, Yan Yuan, and Zhu Jirui. Fortunately, they were not far away. I tried my best to avoid them as I looked for Tan Jiao.


    Then I found her!


    She was somewhere higher than me. Her face was extremely pale, bobbing in and out of the water as she took gulps of water from time to time. I used all my strength to swim toward her. She saw me as well, but she was unable to resist the moving water. There were several times where she came close to me, but the water pushed her away at the last moment.


    ¡°Tan Jiao!¡± I let out.


    I buried my head into the water and believed that the speed of the water would ultimately push me toward her. I saw a rock ahead and used it to reduce my speed, using my shoulder to run into it. The impact shook my bones, but I slowed down enough to position myself so that Tan Jiao came into my arms.


    I held onto her tightly immediately. I noticed her arms around me too, but they were so weak and helpless.


    I looked up and saw the almost abyss-like whirlpool that was bringing everything down.


    So this was it.


    Perhaps we were about to arrive at that place. The place where time and space were twisted.


    I can¡¯t let her go! That was the thought I had as darkness engulfed us.

 Chapter 94: Tan Jiao 13 (1)

    I opened my eyes once more and saw an unfamiliar scene before me. My body was still shaking slightly, as the pain from slamming into debris had not disappeared.


    However, I was no longer there.


    Grey clouds obscured the sky, but I now had houses with thatched roofs around me. I laid on the ground with my back feeling cold. It was as if I was lying on wet snow.


    I took a glance at the ground.


    Holy moly! It really is snow! There was snow everywhere.


    I shot up abruptly and found myself lying outside of an unfamiliar wooden house. I had on my single-layer pajamas, the one I had on when I was on the ship!


    It was so cold that my feet had gradually become numb. I got up from the ground with a slight stumble and quickly recognized my current location. I was in Li Xian, the place where Wu Yu and I had travelled to and where professor Chen¡¯s home was. From afar, I could even see professor Chen¡¯s home in the mountains.


    Winter. We had returned from that ship¡¯s timeline and came back to winter! But what winter was this? Was it the future or the past? Nothing was more terrifying and ridiculous. Stumbling along the way, I held my arms close to myself and started to wander around, yelling, ¡°Wu Yu¡­ Wu Yu¡­¡±


    No one answered me. Not many people lived in this village after all. Some distance ahead, the window of a house opened, probably a curious villager checking on this strange person wandering in the snowy outside.


    Memories of before I fainted slowly surfaced in my mind. That dummy Wu Yu had abandoned me and rushed to the lake. He left me there alone facing the terrifying scene before me and looked as if he was about to jump into the lake the next second.


    I had never felt so much pity for him.


    Then there was the collapse. I almost drowned, but Wu Yu kept appearing before me. Sometimes, he appeared in front of me, sometimes, he was merely inches away from me. Afterward, when I saw him hitting a rock and catching me, I finally understood that he was trying his best to swim toward me.


    I had always thought he was an intelligent man, and he definitely was one. He was also self-centered, which manifested in his material and success-oriented mindset. He barely cared about the feelings of others. Now, I think he is just assertive and stubborn with his ways. Even though he knew our feelings for each other, he would not become close. He was not greedy; he was merely one-track-minded, trapping himself in his mindset and unable to come out.


    However, after last night¡¯s near-death experience, I saw another side of him when he looked toward the ship and then back at me. I saw a man that was trying extremely hard to save everyone and had taken up all the responsibility.


    Thinking about this, tears soon rolled down my face. Snow was everywhere, with the houses wearing a layer of white. Where was he? Did he come to the same place and time as me? My heart dropped when my mind developed these thoughts.


    Finally, after going through several streets, I heard some movement from the nearby bushes. I ran over, and sure enough, I saw someone lying there. Lean figured, summer wear, who else could this be?


    He sat up with difficulty, his hand on the floor. He looked extremely exhausted.


    I came before him, plonked down, and hugged him. He held me tight in response, looking somewhat emotional.


    ¡°It¡¯s winter?¡± he asked beside my ear with his hoarse voice. Our faces were close together, and our breath was almost intertwined.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s winter¡­¡±

 Chapter 95: Tan Jiao 13 (2)

    After holding onto each other for a while, I said, ¡°We should find some place to stay first.¡± As I said that, he suddenly let go of me and got up from the ground. I reached out with my hand expecting some help, but there was none. He stood there with a blank look and said with a dry voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Taken aback, I followed behind him. Even though the snow made it difficult to walk, he did not turn back to look at me. The two of us were only a few steps apart, but it felt as if we were miles apart.


    I knew that something was wrong. Something must be bothering him.


    That inn was still operating, but our names were not on the registration book. Wu Yu got us another room, and we turned the heater to the max. After taking a shower, I put on a simple bathrobe and went under the covers. After Wu Yu finished showering as well, he sat on the chair opposite the bed. Only after a warm shower did our pale faces return to normal.


    We were sure now that we had gone back in time again.


    Not only that, the jump this time was not a mere half a month.


    Instead, we had jumped back half a year back, as it was the 20th of January 2017 now.


    But only our person had gone back in time, and nothing else had.


    This meant that our time travel was not continuous but instead in a leaping fashion.


    Moreover, the jumps were getting more and more dramatic.


    Perhaps I had become used to it, but after a short while of panic, I quickly felt calm as I watched the snowy white scene outside the window.


    Wu Yu said nothing, sitting there smoking again, taking deeper than usual draws from his cigarettes. He had his face down with his wet hair covering his forehead. Suddenly, I felt a sense of unfamiliarity as I looked at him. Perhaps I had become used to that studious appearance of his from the few days we had on that ship. Looking at him now, his stubbled chin and muscular arms made it feel as if he was someone else. He was now the much more quiet man I had first met at the repair shop.


    I knew that he was unhappy, or maybe he was sad. I felt this was how he would look if he were sad.


    ¡°Ah Yu, Wu Miao she¡¯s¡­¡±


    Before I could say anything comforting, he quickly interrupted me. ¡°Wu Miao will be fine. She died a month later. That means that people on the ship were saved.¡±


    His explanation made sense to me, which made me feel relieved. However, I noticed him trying to suppress his frustration as he made an effort to slowly breathe out the smoke.


    I felt sad looking at him, but I had no idea what to do. Without any dating experience, I did not know how to cheer up a man that was depressed.


    At that moment, he looked up and our gaze met. I could not understand what his gaze meant, as there did not seem like there was any emotion behind those eyes.


    ¡°Should we¡­?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this later. You have a good rest. Don¡¯t think too much about it. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll be here. I¡¯ll go outside to finish smoking.¡±


    Again, he interrupted me. He pushed open the glass door and went out to the snow-covered balcony with only a bathrobe. His image from behind reminded me of when he stood at that collapsing lake, and it was then that I understood why he was depressed. He did not want to talk to anyone, not even me.


    Seeing Wu Miao face danger again and unable to do anything was probably why he was in a bad mood. I now felt that I had finally understood how deep the wound in his heart was.


    The fact that he was so calm meant that he was already trying his hardest.

 Chapter 96: Tan Jiao 13 (3)

    After looking at him for some time, I fell asleep.


    I slept deeply and dreamt about a place that was warm and quiet. Perhaps I was hungry, as I even dreamt about having fish with Zhuang Yu. In that dream, the fish even licked my face. It was gentle and licked my eyebrows and eyes. It even kissed my lips and my neck. In my dream, I wondered if I had been pent up with my desires.


    When I woke up, I was greeted by the yellowish hue of the setting sun. It had stopped snowing outside, and the sky seemed brighter than before. Soon, I saw Wu Yu lying beside me, sleeping.


    He had changed into the T-shirt and pants we got at the shop next door. Sleeping soundly, his breathing was calm and steady.


    After staring at him for a while, I gently lifted up his hand. This hand was not the hand of that studious man I met last year on that day anymore. Rather, it seemed bigger and stronger with small scars and calluses. He must have gone through a lot, I thought to myself as I kissed his hand, reluctant to let his hand go.


    Ah Yu, you may not know this, but it was you that brought my joyful heart to this somber place and made me care about you.


    Ah Yu.


    I am the only person in the world that can call you that.


    My dear Ah Yu.


    Don¡¯t hesitate, don¡¯t blame yourself, and don¡¯t lose hope. Though you may be treating me coldly right now, I will not squabble or bicker with you over small matters anymore.


    I want to help you achieve your dreams.


    I want to help you get your mother and Wu Miao back, even if it means diving headfirst into this turbulent river of time.


    Of course, I also hope that I can have a place in your heart.


    You did say that I am your little sunshine. Your one and only sunshine.


    When Wu Yu woke up, there were already two dishes on the table that I got the owner to make. There were also a pair of winter jackets on the sofa that I got the owner to go buy for us. Obviously, they were couple jackets. Even though one was deep blue and the other was peachy red, they had the same design. His was sized 180, while mine was sized 160.


    I was on a call with Zhuang Yu. When I saw him wake up, I smiled at him and continued to say, ¡°Damn it, stop asking too much and come over. It is at times like these that we need that smart brain of yours. Ah Yu, you must come through for me this time. I¡¯ll pay for your trip and accommodation.¡±


    After some persuading and coaxing, Zhuang Yu finally agreed to come immediately. I felt conflicting emotions upon ending the call. I asked her casually and found out that she had just finished her year-end exams and was having her winter holidays. This meant that no matter which point of time I went back to, Zhuang Yu would either be taking her exams, preparing for her exams, or just finished her exams. Suddenly, I felt sorry for Zhuang Yu.


    And sure enough, the Zhuang Yu of right now did not know who Wu Yu was and knew nothing about the cases or anything that happened after that. Since I could not explain all of it through the phone, I could only plead with her to come here. To be honest, I had a strange feeling that she could help us. Perhaps she could figure out something after our journey through time again. Of course, this could merely be my bias trust in her, just like how she believed I could solve any murder case.

 Chapter 97: Tan Jiao 13 (4)

    ¡°You went through a lot. Sorry about just now.¡± Wu Yu had finished washing up and arrived beside me. Our gazes met, and my heart jumped a little. ¡°Sorry for what? Eat up.¡±


    We finished the warm food and decided to go out for some fresh air. Since it was almost Chinese New Year, there were not many people in this touristy town. The two of us ended up passing by that restaurant we went to ¡°last time¡±, and it was still packed. The shop owner was busy waiting tables and taking orders while his pregnant wife sat at the counter receiving payment happily.


    Seeing this scene made us realize how real the situation was.


    We came to a forestry area beside the town. Stars filled the skies, and the trees were now bare, covered with a layer of white. ¡°Ah Yu. Where were you previously at this time?¡±


    ¡°I was in Tibet last year this time,¡± Wu Yu replied after thinking a bit.


    ¡°Why did you go to Tibet?¡±


    ¡°I heard that place is closest to heaven.¡±


    I did not say anything more.


    Flicking his cigarette, he got rid of the ash. ¡°At least, it¡¯s true that the place is calming. It¡¯s also there where I finally came to terms with it. But I seemed to have lost control today.¡±


    He took a glance at me. I smiled briefly and remained silent.


    ¡°I want to go to Tibet too,¡± I said after gazing at the starry night.


    I noticed the shadow of a smile on his face.


    ¡°Ah Yu. When this is all over. After we¡¯ve saved your sister and mother. Will you bring me to Tiber? I¡¯ve never been there before.¡±


    After a brief silence, he agreed.


    As if my eyes were watering up, I felt a great sense of joy. Really. However, I was also worried.


    Negative thoughts flooded my mind. Will things really turn out the way we think? When will we be when the time jumping finally ends? Will he still remember me at the end of all this?


    Was this why he didn¡¯t want to hold my hand?


    Am I the foolish one? Since I¡¯m not bothering to think about our future.


    I had never fallen in love before. Yet, my first love, the one where I had fallen head over heels for, had an uncertain future.


    While he was sleeping, I gave my parents a call. Holding back my tears, I asked them in a casual manner what I had been doing for the past half-year. Unsurprisingly, mother told me there was nothing special. And as usual, she was still worried about me not getting married.


    All of them, even Zhuang Yu, had not noticed anything abnormal. And, I still had no memory of that half-year.


    I felt the urge to go and see my parents after that call. But I knew I probably could only stay in this timeline for 15 days. As such, I could only hold back, stay calm, and tell them I would go home soon. Without finding out the truth, we would not know how things would turn out. The choice was obvious; I had to stay with Wu Yu and face this uncertain future together with him.


    ¡°Last year at this time¡­I have no memory of it, actually.¡± I let out a bitter smile.


    ¡°My past has changed.¡±


    Neither of us said anything more. Just like how we were puzzled about our time travelling episodes, we had no idea why a segment of our memory was blank. Perhaps the secret was hidden at the bottom of that lake that we had fallen into. But we would have to wait 15 days before finding out more.


    ¡°Look over there.¡±


    I looked in the direction that Wu Yu pointed to and saw Professor Chen¡¯s villa situated in the mountain. Even though snow had covered everything, making it difficult to see the house, the brightly lit house still somewhat stood out from the white background. The house was unlike half a year later, dead and barely lit.


    Abruptly, a thought hit me. If we have travelled back half a year, that means...


    Wu Yu also had a stern look on his face. ¡°All his family members are still alive. If memory serves me right, the fire will happen two days from now.¡±

 Chapter 98: Wu Yu 13 (1)

    After entering the room, I immediately searched online for news about Qu Miao.


    ¡°Gone Missing.¡±


    Sure enough, my mother had died from an accident.


    Nothing has changed.


    ¡­¡­


    I was in a terrible mood this afternoon, so I ended up smoking outside on the snowy balcony. When I finally realized that it was actually really cold and decided to go back inside, I found that Tan Jiao was already asleep.


    Trying my best not to make any noise, I turned off the table lamps and sat on the bed. Her serene appearance made my heart ache with guilt. Yet in the next moment, as if a voice inside was urging me, I placed my hands on the bed, trapping her between the bed and I. An intense desire was burning inside me to hold her in my arms and kiss her; I wanted to make her mine.


    And I did kiss her.


    ¡­¡­


    A moment later, when I raised my face, I noticed her loose bathrobe covering her fair skin; it was unable to hide her curvy body. Below that were her smooth, slender legs, which always attracted my eyes. Right then, she let out a muffled grunt and turned her body. My heart dropped while I grabbed her wrist without thinking. If she woke up now...


    She did not wake up.


    She smacked her lips before her breathing became steady once more.


    I was left to deal with a flame burning inside me. No one knew this, definitely not her. The flame burnt wildly in me and ultimately came to my eyes. I had no idea how long I was fighting that flame, perhaps it was a brief moment, perhaps not.


    But ultimately, the flames inside me subsided. Like her gentle steady breathing, the flame inside me slowly faded away while coldness took its place.


    I let go of her skinny wrist and laid down on the other side of the bed.


    ¡­¡­


    As such, after returning to the room tonight, I grabbed my pillow and tossed it on the sofa. She did not say anything when I did that.


    After I turned off the lights, I lay down on the sofa and looked at the ceiling. I heard her moving and knew that she had not slept.


    ¡°The sofa is pretty short. You wanna switch?¡±


    ¡°No need.¡±


    After a brief lull, she said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome to sleep on the bed.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± I said while covering my eyes with the back of my hand.


    I was not sure how much of the meaning she picked up, but she did not continue to ask anymore. Not long after, her breathing became steady, and it seemed that she was sound asleep.


    Meanwhile, after laying there for some time, I found a certain calmness listening to her steady breathing and feeling her presence in the room, so I finally fell asleep.


    The next day, a series of knocks woke me up. I opened my eyes and was greeted by the sunlight beaming through the window. Tan Jiao was still sound asleep. She muttered something, pulled the sheets over her head, and was obviously not going to get up. She even had one of legs hanging over the bed. I got up, helped her with the sheets, put something on, and went to the door.


    It was already pretty bright outside, with the cold air gushing in when I opened the door. Standing in front of the door was a girl in a windbreaker wearing sunglasses. Upon seeing me, she lowered her sunglasses. Then she stared at me a little before finally nodding and saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I must¡¯ve knocked on the wrong door.¡± After that, she turned and started to walk away.


    ¡°Zhuang Yu,¡± I called out and started her. ¡°You weren¡¯t mistaken. Tan Jiao is inside. She¡¯s still asleep.¡±


    Naturally, Tan Jiao¡¯s best friend would not know me.

 Chapter 99: Wu Yu 13 (2)

    Zhuang Yu maintained a look of suspicion to the point where I could tell that her posture was very stiff and on guard when she walked into the room. After rolling up the sheets on the sofa, I woke Tan Jiao up and went to the washroom. Moments later, the sound of the two ladies chattering away was heard.


    When I finally came out, the two were sitting on the bed with very contrasting expressions. Tan Jiao had a look on her face that said ¡°I¡¯m not even gonna bother to explain it to her anymore,¡± while Zhuang Yu looked up and down at me nonchalantly. Zhuang Yu was obviously not going to just let this slide. After all, her best friend had spent the night with a man.


    The three of us got down to business after Tan Jiao had also freshened up. ¡°Shall we start?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are we not gonna let the man of the house speak first?¡± Zhuang Yu teased.


    Tan Jiao had an annoyed look and took a glance at me. ¡°Zhuang Yu, he¡¯s no man of the house! We¡¯re here because of something important.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it must be really important.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut it!¡±


    This scene looked oddly similar to the last time when Zhuang Yu encountered me at Tan Jiao¡¯s house.


    Thinking of this, I could not help but laugh. Tan Jiao must have thought about the same thing when she looked at me and laughed as well. Our gaze met as we laughed, and perhaps that lasted for a bit too long, which triggered a ¡°F*ck¡± from Zhuang Yu. ¡°You two think I¡¯m blind or something? How dare you say there¡¯s nothing between you two! So, I guess you¡¯ve done it already, huh? You otaku, how could you @#%#$%... Pah! I need some fresh air! I need some time to accept this¡­¡±


    I never expected the honest-looking Zhuang Yu to be so liberal with her use of curse words. Shocked by what I heard, I turned to Tan Jiao to find her face blushing while her eyes avoided mine. Then she quickly got up and urged Zhuang Yu to stay. ¡°If you keep teasing us, our friendship ends here!¡±


    Zhuang Yu finally calmed down and stopped teasing us. However, the way she looked at us was still mischievous.


    Tan Jiao expected that it would be way too complex to explain everything to Zhuang Yu again, so she told me yesterday that it probably would be better to simply tell her what was going on.


    ¡°Zhuang Yu, here¡¯s the deal. I don¡¯t need you to believe in what I say; I just need your input.¡±


    Immediately, Zhuang Yu¡¯s expression became serious. Since Tan Jiao had so much trust in this foul-mouthed lady, I had to assume she had some capability.


    ¡°So, there are these two people. They went on a cruise, but after they came back, one of them couldn¡¯t remember what happened during the cruise, while the other one forgot everything that happened the year before. After that, they noticed that every half a month, the two of them would return to that cruise for a brief time. Which means¡­¡± Tan Jiao explained while drawing a diagram, noting the time of each event and connecting them with lines.


    After telling her what strange things we had experienced, Tan Jiao asked, ¡°Well? Any thoughts?¡±


    Zhuang Yu picked up the piece of paper with the diagram and looked at it intently. ¡°Interesting. Give me a moment.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Tan Jiao sounded confident. Our gazes met once more, but she quickly looked away as if she had remembered something. Just then, Zhuang Yu¡¯s previous words rang in my head, and my heart raced a little.


    Seeing that Tan Jiao¡¯s cup was empty, I reached over, intending to fill up her cup with some hot water. Unexpectedly, she reached out for the cup, so drops of hot water dripped onto her hand, scalding her. She let out a scream, and somehow, I ended up holding her hand. The two of us froze for a moment before I let her hand go. She retracted her hand and blew on it as if nothing had happened just now.

 Chapter 100: Wu Yu 13 (3)

    ¡°These two timelines¡­¡± Zhuang Yu said all of a sudden.


    As she said that, a thought appeared in my head.


    These two timelines.


    The two timelines that seem to be related.


    A possible ending to all this had slipped my mind. I should have noticed this earlier, but all the time jumping and emotional swings had occupied my mind.


    I looked up at the paper Zhuang Yu was holding and examined the two lines that Tan Jiao had drawn.


    If one keeps going back, while the other goes forward, then what would the result be?


    Zhuang Yu was probably thinking about the same thing as her eyes sparkled with excitement. ¡°Look here, the two of you have been traveling back in time ever since July 2017, right? But when the two of you return to that ship, time moves forward at a normal pace¡­¡±


    Tan Jiao let out an ¡°Aha!¡± and seemed to have noticed something too.


    With that, Zhuang Yu quickly drew a few more lines: one from left to right, the other from right to left. ¡°The timeline going back is faster, basically leaping jumps. So, what will happen when this continues?¡±


    She continued drawing the lines with dashes until the lines met.


    ¡°They will cross. The two timelines will meet at some point and converge.¡±


    Zhuang Yu looked at me with approval and said, ¡°Tan Jiao, your man is pretty smart¡­ What he said is correct. So, what will happen when the timelines meet?¡±


    The two of us said nothing. Tan Jiao even looked somewhat worried after hearing this possible outcome.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what will happen when the timelines cross, but if the rules of physics are still applicable, time would neither go forward nor backward at that point. In other words, everything would come to a halt! If not, that would go against the rules of physics, causing time itself to collapse.


    ¡°Thus, some mystery must be hiding at that point, including that mysterious force and the reason behind your time jumps. The convergence of the timelines would be the end and the start. Everything would be revealed at that point!¡±


    Midday, the weather had become warmer, and the snow on the trees was melting a little. I took a smoke at the balcony while the two ladies talked some more in the room.


    I was relatively confident with the theory we came up with just now. The two timelines would surely cross, and it would be the end or the start of something. What I was not sure about was where Tan Jiao and I would be at that point.


    The door to the balcony was opened, and Tan Jiao asked, ¡°Zhuang Yu is going back. I already asked her to help us look up information about that lake.¡±


    Tan Jiao and I sent Zhuang Yu to the nearest bus station. She still had a worried look on her face, and then she gave a serious nod and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Tan Jiao. We science students have a great community. I¡¯ll get my friends in meteorology, geology, and physics to help with this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The two gave each other a long and tight hug. It was as though Zhuang Yu had figured something was going to happen to us. ¡°Take care, okay? Call me if you need me.¡± After saying that, Zhuang Yu gave me a doubtful look. Knowing what she meant, I replied with a nod, telling her I would take care of Tan Jiao.


    ¡°Zhuang Yu, I wonder when we¡¯ll see each other again¡­¡± Tan Jiao mumbled.

 Chapter 101: Wu Yu 13 (4)

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back after returning home for Lunar New Year. Are you still going to stay with him and¡­¡± Zhuang Yu¡¯s voice gradually lowered, and I could not hear her anymore. The two chatted in a lowered voice with occasional giggles from Tan Jiao.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going home for Lunar New Year?¡± Zhuang Yu asked Tan Jiao.


    Tan Jiao shook her head with a smile and did not say anything. I understood what was on her mind. She was not even sure if she would experience or remember the period around Lunar New Year.


    After Zhuang Yu left, we walked back toward the inn together. I could sense that she was somewhat sad because of her friend, but I had no idea how to comfort her. We would pass by several villagers, and most of them would eye us.


    ¡°Where do you think that crossover will occur?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Will it be at the bottom of the lake?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Could it be related to Wu Miao¡¯s case?¡± she asked after a brief pause.


    I did not answer her.


    ¡°After the point of crossover¡­ maybe the two of us will return to our normal lives, and this chaos will finally come to an end.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I let out a gentle smile.


    ¡°Will you forget about me after that?¡± she asked with her head lowered.


    Her tone was calm, and her voice was soft; it was unlike her usual free-spirited carefree attitude. Yet, I recall that this was already her second time asking me this.


    ¡°I told you, I won¡¯t forget you.¡±


    ¡°How would you know?¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t forget me no matter what?¡± she asked once more.


    After a brief pause, I said, ¡°No matter what.¡±


    I did not look up or look at her eyes. However, I heard some movement from behind me. It turned out she had reached out to a branch to grab some snow. She did not seem to be doing it for a specific reason but merely playing with it in her hand before throwing it away.


    It was evening and the sun with its mellow rays covered the white snow. I looked quietly from the side as she played with the snow, and it seemed her mood was better now.


    I looked at her fair, elegant fingers that had some snow on them. ¡°Does it still hurt? The spot you got scalded.¡±


    ¡°That was nothing.¡± She responded with the brightest smile. ¡°It felt fine a long time ago. Hey, why don¡¯t we make a snowman? Never know when we¡¯ll get a chance again.¡±


    Feeling somewhat relaxed and not wanting to spoil the mood, I thought, Sure. I lit up a cigarette and saw that her hands were red from the cold. ¡°Stand aside. I¡¯ll make a snowman.¡±


    ¡°What? No.¡± Pursing her lips, she squatted down and started using her hands to pack the snow. I let out a chuckle when I saw her insistence, and she looked back at me with the most innocent look.


    And so the two of us began to work on the snowman together. Even though our hands were cold, we did not care.


    ¡°Ah Yu?¡± A familiar voice came from behind us, which shocked us both.


    And on this snowy day, Chen Ruying stood behind us in a white down jacket, a red scarf, and even a mask. Her eyes, which were filled with shock, excitement, and even a hint of affection, looked at me. Soon after that, she turned her gaze toward Tan Jiao and looked puzzled.


    I held onto Tan Jiao¡¯s hand and slowly got up.


    At this moment, I understood that Cheng Ruying had forgotten about what had happened to the ship and did not recognize Tan Jiao.


    It seemed that they still had no memory of what had happened on the ship in this timeline.

 Chapter 102: Tan Jiao 14 (1)

    Wu Yu told Cheng Ruying that he needed some preparation before visiting her family as I stood at the side observing everything. Even a blind person could sense that Cheng Ruying¡¯s lingering gaze on Wu Yu had a hint of sadness in them. I must admit that she must have suffered a lot not having her love reciprocated.


    When Cheng Ruying looked at me with those ¡®naive¡¯ looking eyes, I had to say that I was glad to receive the stare of my rival in love. When she was about to leave, I even waved goodbye at her and said, ¡°See you later.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re coming along?¡± Wu Yu turned around and asked me.


    It seemed like this guy had not forgotten about me secretly following him here. Yet, he had forgotten that he had jumped into a whirlpool to save me?


    ¡°Then would you rather leave me alone in the room? You would do something like that?¡± As people would say, it was always easier when a woman took the initiative.


    After a brief pause, Wu Yu said, ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll go together.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ sure, I suppose.¡± My response evoked a look from Wu Yu, but he said nothing.


    As we walked back, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind Cheng Ruying¡¯s temper.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind.¡± This was my honest answer. Between Wu Yu and I, what significance does she have?


    Wu Yu let out a brief chuckle before his expressions turned serious again. It was as if this man standing beside me had hidden away the cheerful man that had built a snowman with me.


    Fine, I would wait for him.


    About half an hour later, with two bags of gifts in his hands, Wu Yu and I came to the Cheng family house.


    It was a three storey house, built with wood and stone. Even though it was located in the mountains, the building had a grand look. It seemed as though the family living here was very wealthy.


    The garden was fairly big, at least 200 square meters in size. It seemed obvious that Professor Cheng¡¯s wife took good care of this house. The grass and plants were well groomed, and there was even a stone path.


    Two men working near the pond of the garden looked up at us. One of the men, who seemed to be in his thirties, immediately caught my attention. He was pretty handsome, tall and even muscular. However, he was not comparable to Wu Yu. It was not because of his looks, but rather the difference in mannerism. Wu Yu seemed more mature and complex, giving him a manly feel. And that aspect differentiated him from all the meatheads out there.


    While looking at him, he noticed my gaze and smiled at me. He looked fairly handy, with a shovel in his hand. I felt a bit shy and instinctively returned a polite smile.


    ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Wu Yu¡¯s voice suddenly sounded.


    ¡°...Nothing.¡±


    I turned and saw his gaze on me. Then a feeling I had never felt with him developed in my mind¡ªguilt. Then he looked up toward the garden.


    The two men were back at work.


    Wu Yu did not say anything, neither did I. Yet, I suddenly felt a burning sensation in my heart, feeling a sense of panic. Wu Yu was expressionless as he pressed the doorbell.


    Soon, a woman I did not know came out.


    Wu Yu whispered beside my ear, ¡°This is Professor Cheng¡¯s younger sister, Cheng Baozhu.¡±


    Since Wu Yu had read the news about the fire that would happen and knew Professor Cheng, it was not surprising that he knew the Chengs.


    Cheng Baozhu looked to be in her thirties. She was not tall and was somewhat chubby. Her face was slightly thin, with short eyebrows and thick lips. She did not look beautiful, and she even seemed strict and stern.

 Chapter 103: Tan Jiao 14 (2)

    ¡°Who are you two looking for?¡± She did not recognize Wu Yu.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Professor Cheng¡¯s student. I came to see his mother and him.¡±


    Cheng Baozhu paused for a moment as if she was shocked.


    Her reaction somewhat surprised me, but before I had time to think about it, a smile had appeared on her face as she welcomed us in. ¡°Co-come in¡­ I¡¯ll let my brother know you guys are here.¡±


    Wu Yu and I glanced at each other before following her in.


    At the front door to the house, Cheng Ruying appeared. She still had her face mask on, but she had taken off her down jacket, revealing a wool sweater and a skirt. Even though she was considered a little too slim, her smile was very bright. Her eyes were like bright stars as she fixed her gaze on Wu Yu.


    ¡°Ah Yu! Sister Tan! You guys are here!¡± Her voice was filled with excitement.


    Wu Yu gave her a nod, while I responded with a polite smile.


    At that moment, I suddenly realized it felt rather unpleasant to hear her call him Ah Yu.


    We walked in and were greeted by a spacious Chinese-styled living room with redwood furniture and Chinese art. The spacious and calm room was basically half the size of my apartment already. The ceiling was high up, making the room feel even more spacious.


    Both Professor Cheng and Feng Yan were already waiting in the living room, probably because they had heard about us coming to visit from Cheng Ruying. Beside them were two ladies that I did not know.


    Professor Cheng matched the image I had in mind of a professor. He was someone that looked virtuous and prestigious. He was not too skinny nor too fat, and he looked wise and smart. He was wearing a pair of thick glasses, and the kind smile on his face made him seem even more approachable. Then like any other middle-aged person, he wore simple clothing.


    It was obvious that Feng Yan, his wife, looked younger than him by seven or eight years. However, if considering her youthful looks, it would seem as if the two were not husband and wife. However, Feng Yan did possess a dignified look that made them seem compatible.


    Wu Yu had told me that Professor Cheng¡¯s full name was Cheng Liangjie. After greeting each other, Professor Cheng asked with a smile, ¡°This is?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my friend, Tan Jiao. She¡¯s a writer. I brought her along to see you. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Professor, Miss Cheng. Nice to meet you all. My name is Tan Jiao. It''s the Tan with the radical Yan, while Jiao is the character for bright. I heard that Wu Yu was going to visit the professor he respects the most, so I thought I would tag along to admire someone so prestigious. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Professor Cheng was somewhat shocked, let out a chuckle, and said, ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind. You¡¯re welcomed here. You said you¡¯re a writer. What kind of literature do you write?¡±


    ¡°Love stories, nothing prestigious.¡±


    ¡°It takes some skill to write novels. You¡¯re being too humble,¡± Feng Yan said with a smile. Cheng Ruying was also smiling, but I felt that was a fake smile.


    Also, I felt Wu Yu¡¯s gaze on me. I did not look at him. I thought to myself, You see? I¡¯m a woman that is presentable and is able to hold my own.


    After we had some tea, Professor Cheng asked, ¡°Wu Yu¡­ you still haven¡¯t returned to the university?¡± This question was actually to see if Wu Yu had moved on from the tragedy that happened to his family.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Wu Yu replied calmly.


    Letting out a sigh, Professor Cheng gave Wu Yu a pat on the shoulder and said, ¡°You¡¯ve really been through a lot. However, that matter is already half a year ago¡­ You should think about yourself and not waste that talent of yours¡­¡±

 Chapter 104: Tan Jiao 14 (3)

    Wu Yu did not say anything.


    ¡°Old Cheng, let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. Wu Yu has only just arrived, yet you¡¯re already lecturing him. How about this? Why don¡¯t you guys stay with us for the Lunar New Year?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± Professor Cheng said with a smile.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that¡­ be troublesome?¡± Wu Yu asked.


    I did not expect such a development. Originally, we only intended to scout out the conditions of the Cheng family today. However, such a development was not bad either. Since we were going to save this family and prevent the fire, it would be more convenient to stay here. Knowing when the fire would occur also meant that we were not worried.


    Wu Yu did not seem like he would reject the offer either, as it would be too discourteous.


    As I was thinking about this, Wu Yu suddenly glanced at me. Immediately, I understood what he meant and replied with a smile. Seeing my smile, he too understood what I meant. It felt great being able to communicate with him without even saying a word.


    Before the smile on my face had disappeared, I felt the gaze of Cheng Ruying on me. I looked up at her, and she quickly avoided my eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s right Wu Yu, you should stay at our place. I¡­ we have not seen you for a long time,¡± Cheng Ruying said.


    At that moment, the professor¡¯s sister, Cheng Baozhu, suddenly spoke up, ¡°But brother, there might not be rooms¡­ since Zhiwei is coming tomorrow.¡±


    The woman we did not recognize also voiced her concern, ¡°That¡¯s right. Shouldn¡¯t we ask grandma if we''re going to have guests stay over?¡±


    She looked to be in her mid-twenties and had a pretty V-shaped face. Like Feng Yan and Cheng Ruying, she was dressed well, giving off a wealthy person vibe. When she spoke, she did not seem to be mad nor joyous. It seemed that she was merely saying it.


    Feng Yan glanced at her, and then she turned to us to explain. ¡°This is our relative, Tang Lanlan. Zhiwei is Baozhu¡¯s boyfriend. Baozhu, don¡¯t worry, we have plenty of rooms. Lanlan, since your uncle¡¯s most prized student came to visit us in such bad weather, don¡¯t you think we should invite him to stay for a bit? If you¡¯re going to ask grandma, then go ahead.¡±


    Even though Feng Yan sounded calm, I felt a hint of tension between them. Professor Cheng and Wu Yu were enjoying their tea as if they had not noticed what was going on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go ask grandma,¡± Cheng Ruying said after getting up. She took a look at Wu Yu before leaving.


    Wu Yu seemed to have noticed this and took a glance at her.


    To be honest, the minor interactions between the two do tick me off. However, I could also somewhat understand how Cheng Ruying felt and why she would fall head over heels for someone like Wu Yu.


    I took a good look at Feng Yan too. Even though her makeup was very well done, she did not look too healthy. There were even dark bags under her eyes. Perhaps she had some worries in her mind.


    After Cheng Ruying went upstairs, the mood in the living room began to mellow out.


    One thing never changed. Even in modern times, a big family like this interacted differently compared to small families. If we were at my parents¡¯ place, my mom would have started to make dinner while my dad would have showed off his fishing poles to Wu Yu. He probably would have gotten Wu Yu to have a drink or two with him.


    With these thoughts in mind, I turned to look at Wu Yu¡¯s face and immediately felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in my heart.


    Not long after, Cheng Ruying came down with a granny. Everyone in the room stood up, so Wu Yu and I also stood up.

 Chapter 105: Tan Jiao 14 (4)

    ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°Grandmother.¡± They respectfully called out.


    A scrawny old lady of average height appeared before us. Her hair was all white, but it was neatly combed up. She was completely dressed in black, and she had on a jacket, cotton pants, and a pair of low heels leather shoes. Coupled with her composed walk down the stairs, it was obvious that this old lady paid particular attention to her image.


    Even though she had some wrinkles, her fair and smooth skin showed that she had put a lot of effort into maintaining her skin.


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Both Wu Yu and I greeted her.


    The old lady greeted us with a smile before sitting down at the seat of honor. I had heard from Wu Yu that the Cheng family usually lived in their villa in Beijing. They would only come here during the Lunar New Year. Wu Yu had also mentioned that the old lady was quite traditional, and her parents and grandparents were either business people or government officials. So, in a sense, their family could be considered as aristocrats.


    ¡°Ruying has told me everything. Since you are here, then stay with us. Though we don¡¯t often receive guests, I¡¯ll make an exemption. After all, you are Liangjie¡¯s student, and Ruying also wants you to stay.¡±


    Her voice was calm, and her tone was neither welcoming nor hostile. Even though this was the case,I still felt somewhat uncomfortable for some reason.


    And so, Wu Yu accepted the offer. ¡°Thank you, and sorry for the trouble.¡±


    I thanked her as well; then the old lady¡¯s gaze landed on me briefly before moving away in a calm manner.


    I felt as if she was looking at me with disdain. Seeing that Cheng Ruying stood closely beside the old lady, it was not difficult to see who she liked more.


    ¡°But mother, Zhiwei will come tomorrow. Then the room¡­¡± Cheng Baozhu spoke up once more.


    Putting down the cup of tea in her hand, the old lady said calmly, ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? Tidy up your elder brother¡¯s reading room and let him stay there.¡±


    Cheng Baozhu said nothing more.


    Nor did anyone else.


    I felt a sense of guilt when I saw Cheng Baozhu lowering her head. She seemed like someone kind and honest, but our unexpected stay had taken her boyfriend¡¯s room. Not only that, but it seemed that the old lady did not care about her boyfriend?


    ¡°Tidy up the guest room.¡± The old lady told Feng Yan.


    ¡°Okay mother.¡±


    ¡°You two stay put. The cook has gone home for Lunar New Year, so you guys will get to try Feng Yan¡¯s dishes. Anyways, I¡¯ll go back to recite the sutra.¡±


    The two of us quickly said please, go ahead.


    ¡°Ah Yu, sister Tan, you guys stay put. I¡¯ll go help my mom with tidying the room.¡± Cheng Ruying left after saying that with a smile.


    At the same time, Tang Lanlan quickly got up and helped the old lady. ¡°I¡¯ll help you go up. Have you finished your tea? Shall I prepare another cup?¡± The two walked closely while chit-chatting. They seemed to have a very close relationship.


    At that moment, I saw Feng Yan look at the two of them expressionlessly before a brief smile appeared and faded.


    I was surprised.


    Soon, the mother-daughter pair went up stairs to clean up the room, while Cheng Baozhu returned to her room. In the end, this left behind Professor Cheng and us two. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became a lot colder.


    I looked out the window, and the ray of the setting sun covered the bushes outside. Out of nowhere, from the corner of my eye, I saw a pair of eyes amidst the leaves and snow looking at us. When I focused and looked, it was just the snow and leaves. Those eyes were not there. Perhaps it was my imagination.

 Chapter 106: Tan Jiao 14 (5)

    Not long after, Cheng Ruying brought us to the first room on the second floor. It was spacious, well-decorated, and had a king-sized bed. ¡°Ah Yu, are you okay with staying in this room?¡± Cheng Ruying was all smiles.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with anything.¡± Then Wu Yu turned to take a look at me and asked, ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°Sister Tan¡¯s room will be a bit further away, over there. Ah Yu, you should rest. I¡¯ll take her to her room.¡± Without waiting for Wu Yu to say anything, she grabbed my hand and said, ¡°Sister Tan, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Without much option, I followed her to the end of the corridor.


    ¡°Since we weren¡¯t expecting guests, and we don¡¯t have too many rooms, this is the only room left for you.¡±


    As the room was at the corner of the house, the shape was irregular. Not only was it half the size of Wu Yu¡¯s room, but it was also poorly furnished, with only a single bed and a small cupboard. This was probably where their maid normally stayed.


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    She did not say anything more and quickly left. We had nothing to say to each other anyway.


    I let out a sigh and laid on the small bed in the room. Looking at the blank ceiling, the thought of the fire that killed members of the Cheng family came to mind. It was rather freaky to think that the people you knew were dead were now in front of you. Then two days later, they would meet their end.


    According to Wu Yu, the police found no foul play and figured it was probably an accident. Even though the Cheng family was difficult and somewhat snobbish, Wu Yu and I would still stay up on the night of the incident and prepare for the worse. If there were any strange signs, we would immediately bring them out.


    Right then, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said.


    It was Wu Yu, and he froze with shock on his face when he saw my room.


    I smiled at him then patted the bed, inviting him to sit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s switch rooms.¡± He stood there and did not come over.


    ¡°No need. You¡¯re their ideal son-in-law, while I¡¯m just a pain in the butt. Of course, they¡¯ll treat you better. Also, they might get the wrong idea if we switch rooms. We came to save these people, so I don¡¯t mind this.¡±


    Before I had finished my sentence, Wu Yu had come beside me on the bed. In an instant, the room felt smaller. Our eyes met briefly before I shut my eyes as if I was trying to rest. I knew his gaze was still on me, yet I knew his gaze might not be on me anymore if I checked.


    That was why I would rather not ruin my imagination.


    ¡°You have a good rest then.¡± He was about to leave.


    ¡°Hey, promise me something.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    I could still feel his presence beside me.


    I said slowly and clearly, ¡°Tell Cheng Ruying to not call you Ah Yu anymore. It pains me to hear that.¡±


    He did not say anything.


    I felt nervous at that moment with my heart thumping away. All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the small and silent room felt heavier. Was I being too rash?


    ¡°Okay.¡± His voice broke the silence.


    An uncontrollable smile appeared on my face, and I opened my eyes to say, ¡°This is also for your own good. Since you¡¯re not interested in her, giving her hope will only make things worse. Do you even know how to reject women?¡±


    At that moment, I felt warmness on my cheeks as Wu Yu looked at my face with one of his hands on the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±


    Even though my heart was racing and my face was flushed, I still needed to save face. So I immediately waved my hand and acted nonchalantly. ¡°Well, anyway, you should go back to your luxury room. You may go now.¡±


    However, he did not move and just looked at me without saying anything.


    ¡°Do you have anything more you want to say?¡±


    There was no expression on his face, but the muscles on his arms were obviously tensed up. He remained like this for a while, maybe even longer, before I saw a fleeting look in his eyes. Soon, he relaxed the hand that was grabbing the bed sheets and said in a calm tone, ¡°I¡¯ll go then, Jiaojiao.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    I laid on my bed and looked at the starry night view outside the window.


    He called me Jiaojiao.


    I could not contain the urge in me anymore.


    I swear I will definitely open his heart to me and release that injured beast. I want to be with him no matter what.

 Chapter 107: Wu Yu 14 (1)

    I never thought Cheng Ruying calling me Ah Yu would bother Tan Jiao.


    Previously at school, my male friends would usually call me Ah Yu, so I did not think much of it when Cheng Ruying called me like that.


    However, after I returned to my room and lay in my bed, the image of Tan Jiao lying on the bed came to mind. I recalled her slender legs hanging off the bed, perfectly defined by her jeans. Also, I thought of how gentle she called me ¡°Ah Yu.¡±


    Though many had called me Ah Yu, only she made it feel special.


    She was right; I did not want anyone else but her to call me that anymore.


    Just now, when I looked at her face and was so close to her, I suddenly had the urge to call her Jiaojiao. I had wanted to leave, but she had opened her eyes to look at me.


    Those beautiful and innocent eyes that looked at me and the way she asked, ¡°Do you have anything more you want to say?¡± caused a burning passion and urge to burst out. And so, those words came out.


    Jiaojiao. What I had wanted to call her.


    Your friend calls you Dazhu, while your readers call you by all sorts of names. But I did not think those names were good.


    The bright moon wanders the night alone while her glow brightens the night sky.


    [TL note: Jiao in Chinese means bright, and it is usually used to describe the moon.]


    I immediately felt somewhat embarrassed after calling her that, so I avoided her eyes and left her room.


    ¡­¡­


    Thinking about what had happened just now, I felt as though there was now something more between Tan Jiao and I. Something that was attracting me. I felt like smiling again, and my heart was filled with a warm fuzzy feeling.


    Knocking sounds came from the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Seeing that it was Cheng Ruying, I immediately got up. She had obviously just showered, as her wet hair was draped across her shoulders. I had never seen her in a black dress, but it made her already fair skin even more perfect and her face even more slender. She greeted me with a smile while holding a tray of food. ¡°Ah Yu, I brought you milk and some cookies my mom made. I was afraid you¡¯ll be hungry at night.¡±


    I sat there without moving and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    She smiled and left the tray on the table, looking somewhat unnatural. ¡°Ah Yu, I haven¡¯t seen you in such a long time. Ever since that cruise¡­¡±


    I looked at her upon hearing that and asked, ¡°I have something to ask you. Do you remember anything that happened on that ship?¡±


    She shook her head and said, ¡°No, I forgot about the things that happened already. My mom too. I recall waking up at a hotel that the cruise company and the local government had arranged. They said the ship had some problems, so they turned back and refunded us. We also didn¡¯t look into the matter since a lot of the other guests had left already.¡±


    Her experience was similar to mine. After getting off the ship, I was in a daze. I could not recall much nor could I think straight. At that time, there were some urgent matters at school and my mother was worried about Wu Miao and I, so I left soon after.


    ¡°Then¡­ did you notice anything strange after that?¡±


    Cheng Ruying was taken aback and said, ¡°N-no¡­ Ah Yu, what do you mean?¡±


    She did not seem like she knew anything, so I figured it would be pointless to continue asking. ¡°Never mind. Also, don¡¯t call me Ah Yu anymore. Call me by my name.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I noticed a minute change in her expression.


    ¡°Nothing. I just think it¡¯s inappropriate.¡±


    My words probably made her feel worse. However, I really did not like to get entangled with women, so I turned my head and lit a cigarette. Then I heard a saddened and soft voice, ¡°Is it¡­ because of sister Tan? She doesn¡¯t like it, so she wants me to stop?¡±


    I glanced at her and saw that her eyes were already watering. I felt somewhat awkward, but I did not like the way she talked about Tan Jiao. ¡°This has nothing to do with her. This is just what I feel.¡±


    ¡°What you feel? What feeling is that? I¡¯ve always called you that. But now she can and I cannot? It¡¯s not like¡­ It¡¯s not like she¡¯s your¡­¡±


    I raised my face and looked at her without saying anything.


    Cheng Ruying was not stupid. She was actually rather sensitive to these things.


    Soon, sadness filled her eyes as gradually realized what I meant. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s already late. You should rest early. I¡¯ll go now.¡± She got up and left.

 Chapter 108: Wu Yu 14 (2)

    I did not sleep well that night. Once again, I dreamed about the catastrophe that happened during the cruise. The ship spun around in the whirlpool, and I even saw Wu Miao drowning in the water. I struggled to help her, but it was as though I had been tied up; no matter how hard I tried, I could not do anything. Then I fell into the water and felt the wetness.


    Something was tying me up, but I did not know what. I struggled to breathe as the restraints got tighter and tighter.


    ¡­¡­


    I jolted awake and saw the blank ceiling above me and felt the cool breeze from the window. I understood that it was probably sleep paralysis, and I only fell asleep after some time.


    Shortly after what happened to Wu Miao, my sleep became even worse. I basically did not sleep and only stared blankly at the darkness. The feeling of emptiness I felt at that time was like a poisonous snake slowly swallowing my soul away and willpower away.


    The next morning, I got up and wanted to wash up. As I got out of my room, I saw Tan Jiao coming out of the shared bathroom and became stunned by her appearance. The clothes she wore were the same as mine; the ones we got from the village. It seemed that she had washed her hair this morning, which was apparent from her untied damp hair. She also seemed to have put some effort into dressing up, sporting a grey-purple wool sweater on the outside while wearing the collared shirt on the inside with the collar showing. Matching that with her usual jeans, she looked particularly pretty this morning.


    She walked toward me.


    Then it felt somewhat awkward between us. Perhaps it was due to our little thing last night. She let out a smile when she was close and said, ¡°Good morning, Ah Yu.¡±


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    From the corner of my eyes, I noticed her walking down the stairs elegantly and at a slower pace. I felt she was not her usual self, but I could not put my finger on it.


    When I finally went downstairs after washing up, I saw Tan Jiao and Fengyan sitting on the dining table making dumplings.


    Fengyan greeted me with a bright smile when she saw me. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Then my gaze turned to Tan Jiao. I found her trying to make a dumpling, but she was having a hard time.


    ¡°Ruying isn¡¯t feeling well, so she didn¡¯t come down to help. The others have things to do as well, so I got Tan Jiao to help me. Why don¡¯t you give us a hand?¡±


    Having no qualms, I washed my hands and sat down beside Tan Jiao to help. Then Fengyan left us to store some of the dumplings in the fridge, leaving the two of us alone. Tan Jiao was totally engrossed in making her ¡®dumplings¡¯. Her gaze was fixed, and she looked totally focused.


    I felt like laughing when I saw the oddly-shaped, disproportionate dumpling in her hand. I did not think they should even be called dumplings, as they were more like meat in dough.


    ¡°Who do you think will eat those?¡±


    She replied without looking up, ¡°You.¡±


    I was speechless. Then I picked up a piece of dumpling skin, made a dumpling, and placed it down.


    ¡°Wow, why does yours look so good? Are you even a man?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense.¡±


    She let out a chuckle. Instead of making more dumplings, she just looked as I made them. ¡°You¡¯re so good at this. Be honest, you did this for many girls, right?¡±


    ¡°When I was young, my mother used to sell dumplings out of a food stand, and I would go help her after school.¡±


    She did not say anything more.

 Chapter 109: Wu Yu 14 (3)

    I looked up at her and was greeted by her tender gaze. When she was calm, her gaze seemed like she could accept all of you. Yet, when she was excited, she would be adorable like a rabbit or a child.


    I continued to make some more dumplings and said, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to make more dumplings, then go help¡­¡± Before I finished my sentence, I felt her finger touch my face. I raised my face with my brows slightly knitted and saw her playful smile coupled with her raised finger with flour on it. I wiped my face, and sure enough, there was flour on it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fool around.¡± Though I said that, I could not help but let out a smile when I saw her sparkling eyes. Right then, she became even more playful and pressed two of her hands on my face.


    Her hands were all over my face. My cheeks, forehead, and nose. I grabbed both her hands and looked at her. She was now standing between my legs, face glowing red as her eyes looked somewhere else.


    ¡°I was just playing¡­¡± she muttered. I let go of her hands, but she immediately came back again. This time, she went with the back of her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll help you clean your face¡­¡±


    Her soft hands were cool to the touch, but they were very comfortable. My posture was somewhat stiff, as she was very close to me. Her face was merely inches away from mine. I knew that if I reached out, I could totally have her sitting on my lap.


    My throat felt dry, and even the air coming out from my nostrils felt a bit hot. Yet, Tan Jiao seemed so focused as she cleaned my face. I would see her sometimes through her hands, and I was not sure what she felt.


    Knowing that I could not let her keep doing this, I waved her hands off, turned my face, and said, ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s get back to making the dumplings.¡±


    Unexpectedly, she held my chin and turned my face toward her.


    No woman had ever done this to me, nor has she ever done this to me.


    Though there was a shade of red on her cheeks, she looked calm. After letting go of my chin, she grabbed some tissues and continued to clean my face. ¡°Stop moving about. Alright, alright, your face is clean now. You¡¯re handsome again. There¡¯s no need to be shy. Aren¡¯t we comrades that have gone to hell together?¡±


    Feng Yan came back with a plate and looked to be holding back a smile, so I did not know how much of our interaction she had seen. When I had come to my senses, Tan Jiao had sat down and resumed making her ¡®dumplings¡¯; humming a song and acting as if nothing had happened.


    This was the first time I felt my heart race uncontrollably. That hot feeling I felt still remained on my fingers and face. Though I had resumed making more dumplings, every cell in my body was trying to suppress this feeling I had.


    Not long after, the rest of the Chengs came down. Cheng Baozhu did not seem to be interested in helping. After grabbing a cup of water, she walked out without saying anything to us.


    ¡°Baozhu, how many dumplings do you want to have?¡± Feng Yan asked. ¡°Ten.¡± The two did not seem close or distant.


    Tan Lanlan came down as well and asked with a bright voice, ¡°Yo, you guys are making dumplings? Wu Yu is helping too?¡±


    I greeted her with a smile and replied yes. She seemed friendly to me, but that made it very obvious that she and Fengyan were not on good terms, as she said nothing to Feng Yan.


    After Professor Cheng came down, he went to read the newspapers and told me, ¡°Wu Yu, let the women handle things like that. Come talk with me.¡± I had no choice but to wash my hands and go over. Before leaving, I turned to Tan Jiao to see her looking at me. At some point in time, some flour had gotten on her nose; she looked extremely adorable.


    For some reason, perhaps it was my imagination or the devil in me playing tricks, but I felt as if the way she looked at me today was different. As if it was more gentle and inviting.


    Then before I knew it, my finger was already on her nose.


    She looked at me without moving, which caused my heart to flutter once more. My finger rubbed off the flour on her nose, and then she revealed an ever so slight smile.


    ¡°Ruying? How do you feel? Do you want to have something?¡± Feng Yan¡¯s caring voice suddenly sounded. I raised my head and saw Cheng Ruying still in her black dress with a wool sweater draped over her shoulder and a mask on her face.


    She stood outside her room without moving. Like a slender shadow standing there, I did not know how long she had been there.


    ¡°No need, mom.¡± Her voice was soft and unclear. Our gazes met, and a smile suddenly developed on her face. Though it was a smile, it seemed cold, bitter, and even somewhat hateful. After that, she went back to her room.

 Chapter 110: Tan Jiao 15 (1)

    I felt there was something odd about the Cheng family, but I could not pinpoint what it was.


    Seeing that they treated each other with respect and acted seemingly normal, I did not think too much of their minor tiffs. This seemed like what a normal family would experience.


    However, I still had an uneasy feeling that bugged me like a grain of sand in my shoe. It was a constantly annoying feeling that I could not get rid of.


    Soon, old madam Cheng came down. Perhaps I was being too sensitive about it, but I felt an immediate and subtle change in the room¡¯s mood when she came down. All the women in the room became more humble. However, considering old madam Cheng¡¯s wealth and position in the family, it seemed normal that the Chengs would respect her. The only exception was Professor Cheng. In a relaxed manner, he looked up and greeted the old madam.


    The old madam replied with a nod and sat down at the head of the dining table. She took a glance at us too. Though her gaze seemed calm, there seemed to be a hint of pridefulness.


    Soon, everyone was at the dining table having breakfast.


    Wu Yu sat beside me, but he did not take one look at me the whole time. Although I was somewhat disappointed, I also thought it was quite funny. The most obvious expression on his face when I turned his head was ¡®shock¡¯ and ¡®awe¡¯. Though, to be honest, my heart was racing when I did that. I guess me acting like a ¡®bad girl¡¯ was too drastic of a change from my usual sweet image.


    The Chengs did not talk much while eating. Even when they conversed, they spoke very softly. Seeing how everyone was being so well-mannered at the dining table, I too politely ate my food. When I finished my food, I felt Wu Yu¡¯s gaze on me, but he turned his gaze to somewhere else when I cleaned my mouth with a napkin. Instead, he showed me the back of his head.


    When everyone had finished, Professor Cheng went to his reading room. I could recall Wu Yu telling me that Professor Cheng would spend most of his time in his reading room. Considering what a young and beautiful wife he had, he seemed rather boring.


    Tan Lanlan¡¯s attitude toward Feng Yan took a drastic change after breakfast, as she proactively helped Feng Yan in the kitchen. I offered to help but was quickly rejected. Feng Yan said I was a guest, so Wu Yu and I had no choice but to go to the living room and watch TV.


    The old madam sat beside a window with tea and meditated with her mala beads. Then Cheng Baozhu went to the old madam and said, ¡°Mother, I still have some work to do at the company. Zhiwei will come afterward.¡±


    Wu Yu had told me that Cheng Baozhu worked at a big state-owned company.


    The old madam opened her eyes slowly then said, ¡°I¡¯ll pay a visit to your boss one of these days. How could he ask you to work during the New Year? Either he has poor management skills, or you¡¯re doing poorly at work.¡±


    Cheng Baozhu did not refute her or comment. Behind those glasses, her eyes did not show any emotion either. Instead, she said nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡± Then she left.


    I was shocked by how the old madam had reprimanded Cheng Baozhu in front of us. Although her words were reasonable, it did not seem that she had any consideration for Cheng Baozhu¡¯s reputation.


    I turned to Wu Yu, and our gazes met. As an outsider, he naturally said nothing. Then it struck me¡ªthe odd aspect of the Cheng family.


    The mood in the house was suffocating and stifling.


    It was the way they interacted with each other. Even though the mood seemed calm and everyone seemed to be used to it, there seemed to be an oppressive figure. At the same time, something else seemed to be brewing behind the scenes.

 Chapter 111: Tan Jiao 15 (2)

    Previously, Wu Yu told me that the Chengs usually stayed in Beijing, and Feng Yan had married Professor Cheng twenty years ago. This meant that they had been living together like this for a very long time.


    It must be detrimental for the family to always be so on edge.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Wu Yu suddenly asked softly.


    Though we were sitting together, there was still some space between us.


    ¡°Nothing.¡± I looked at him and smiled.


    We looked at each other for a few seconds before he turned away without showing any expression. However, the look in his eyes caused my heart to race a little. It was as if there was something between us, but neither of us wanted to talk about it.


    Around midday, the doorbell rang, and Tan Lanlan went to open the door. Her laughter sounded. ¡°Zhiwei, you¡¯re here. You brought so many things. Grandmother, Zhiwei is here.¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was deep, husky, and sounded somewhat joyous. ¡°Thank you for your help. Mrs. Cheng, happy New Year.¡±


    I never expected Zheng Baozhu¡¯s boyfriend to be this handsome.


    Zheng Zhiwei was about 1.7 meters tall. Although he was not as tall as Wu Yu, he was pretty tall for a southerner. He wore a black wool coat and a suit inside, looking very smart. His handsome face coupled with his smile radiated with positivity. Wu Yu had told me that this man¡¯s wealth was inherited. Although his family was not super rich, they still owned a medium-sized company. That was why he was still compatible with the Cheng family.


    He too would have died at the fire that broke out.


    Zheng Zhiwei carried a few boxes of ginseng bird¡¯s nests and handed them to the smiling Tang Lanlan. That smile grew even broader when she heard Zheng Zhiwei¡¯s whisper. Then she went in with the gifts. Feng Yan wiped her hands on the apron after coming out of the kitchen and greeted Zheng Zhiwei with a smile.


    Zheng Zhiwei replied pleasantly, ¡°Yo, sister-in-law. Happy New Year. Where¡¯s Baozhu?¡±


    ¡°Upstairs.¡±


    Glancing at the things he was carrying, old madam Cheng let out a slight smile and said, ¡°Why buy these things? You know I don¡¯t eat them.¡±


    Zheng Zhiwei went over to the old madam and said, ¡°This is a little something I prepared. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± The old madam let out a dry smile and said nothing more about it. Zheng Zhiwei proceeded to chit-chat with the old madam. The old madam spoke to him in a calm and unhurried manner, but finally, she let out a genuine smile. All along, Zheng Zhiwei was all smiles.


    Thinking about the way the old madam talked about Zheng Zhiwei yesterday, it seemed that this future son-in-law was not very important to her, but he was not someone too bad either.


    Then Zheng Zhiwei looked at the two of us. ¡°These two are?¡±


    ¡°This is your brother-in-law¡¯s student and his writer friend. They came to visit us too this New Year.¡± Feng Yan introduced us.


    Zheng Zhiwei immediately reached out with his hand and said, ¡°Nice to you. You guys are welcomed here.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    Then Zheng Zhiwei looked at me with a smile and said with his attractive, husky voice, ¡°You¡¯re a writer? I¡¯ve never met a writer before.¡±


    In truth, his words were rather normal. However, he looked genuinely interested in the conversation and you, especially when he fixed his gaze on you and smiled attractively. To my disappointment, my heart began to race, and I became somewhat shy.

 Chapter 112: Tan Jiao 15 (3)

    Suddenly, it hit me that compared to Zheng Zhiwei, Wu Yu actually was not aware of his flirting. Zheng Zhiwei seemed experienced with women and knew what he was doing.


    With that comparison, Zheng Zhiwei suddenly felt inferior. I could not help glance at Wu Yu and found that his gaze was on me. His gaze looked deep, enigmatic, and somewhat cold. This gaze was similar to the one he had yesterday when I was looking at the gardener. It felt cold and even a little unpleasant, but it was well hidden.


    I put on a courteous smile and no longer looked at Zheng Zhiwei¡¯s eyes. After making small talk for a brief moment with him, I took a step back and returned to Wu Yu¡¯s side. I wonder if he had noticed that.


    ¡°Zhiwei.¡± Cheng Baozhu¡¯s voice sounded from upstairs. The two looked at each other with smiles. ¡°I¡¯ll be going to talk with Baozhu, auntie.¡±


    The old madam said nothing. Zheng Zhiwei had already dashed upstairs and was holding Zheng Baozhu in his arms. Fixing his gaze on Zheng Baozhu, he seemed like a different man compared to how he was a few seconds ago. He seemed gentle and looked totally focused on Zheng Baozhu, which left me with a good opinion of him.


    Wu Yu told Professor Cheng he did not want to be sitting around doing nothing, so he offered to go tidy up the garden and check the electrical and plumbing. Initially, Professor Cheng did not want him to do it, telling him that a guest should not do such things. However, Wu Yu insisted on it and also jokingly said that this was his expertise afterall. And so, Professor Cheng agreed to it.


    It was afternoon now. Seeing Wu Yu head out, I quickly followed him. When he noticed me coming along, he took a glance at me but said nothing. After the two of us had gone out of the door and there was no one around, he said, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. I can do this alone. You should stay inside.¡±


    I knew that his real intention was to check the electrical works in order to exclude any fire hazards. However, it was stifling to sit in that house for any longer, so I insisted. ¡°I want to go as well.¡±


    We stood below a tree in the garden. The cold was going through my shoes, making my feet cold. Wu Yu took a look at me and said, ¡°You can¡¯t help me.¡±


    Though I heard him, us being alone here only made me think about the way he tenderly called me Jiaojiao last night. I thought of the look on his face when I turned his chin toward me while I stood between his legs.


    ¡°Ah Yu, are you scared you¡¯ll be distracted?¡±


    The surrounding suddenly felt very quiet and cold.


    ¡°Why would I be distracted?¡±


    Damn it, he completely cut off the conversation.


    I was not thick-skinned to that point, so I turned my head and crossed my arms like a spoiled child and insisted. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I just want to go.¡±


    After a brief lull, I heard him say, ¡°Be careful, the floor is slippery. Also, don¡¯t get cut by the branches.¡±


    And so without giving it much thought, I followed him.


    The Cheng family villa rested on the side of the hill. Aside from the tea farm in front, the villa was surrounded by forest. The closest village main road was a few minutes walk, while the village at the bottom of the hill was about a half-hour walk. I guess that was also why the fire at the Chengs could not be put out.


    We went around the house first, cleaning up the dried leaves and branches that were around the house. These were flammable too, I suppose.


    While picking up the branches from the ground, I suddenly asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you think the entire Cheng family seems pretty quiet and introverted? Zheng Zhiwei, though, seems pretty friendly, and everyone seems to like him a lot.¡±

 Chapter 113: Tan Jiao 15 (4)

    In front of me, Wu Yu suddenly stopped, turned around, and grabbed the branches from my hand. He was pretty strong, able to hold a huge stack of branches.


    ¡°He looks pretentious, not appearing reliable at all,¡± Wu Yu said nonchalantly.


    Yo, someone is jelly.


    At that moment, I recalled how he was when we first met on the ship; he was also pretty pretentious. Of course, there was no need to mention that.


    Wu Yu took a look at my arms and saw the shallow pink marks left by the branches and said, ¡°Leave the work to me. I don¡¯t want you getting cuts.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not that delicate.¡± I reached out, wanting to help, but he quickly blocked my arms. Somehow, we ended up being close to each other. We were so close that I could even clearly see his neck and even the black hair behind his ear.


    ¡°Ah Yu. If you really care about me, then let me be,¡± I whispered beside his ear.


    He froze and said nothing for a good second. Then without looking at me, he lowered his head and continued working. He was not smiling, and the muscles on his arms seemed rather tense.


    I knew I couldn¡¯t tease him anymore, so I said nonchalantly, ¡°You keep working then. I need a break.¡±


    Seemingly angry at me, Wu Yu turned after he was done cleaning up and said without looking at me, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He walked so fast that I could not even keep up with him. And the expression he had now was the same as when I turned his face to me.


    ¡°Wait up!¡± He slowed down after my protest.


    ¡°You think everyone has long legs like you. Your one step is almost two of mine, and you¡¯re also more muscular.¡±


    He replied with an ¡®Oh¡¯ and slowed down.


    We arrived back in the garden, and Wu Yu proceeded to examine the plumbing, electrical wires, and finally, the circuit breaker at the back of the house. No problems were found. In fact, the chances of electrical faults causing a fire was highly unlikely.


    At the back of the house, there was also a small wooden shack. It was quite far from the house and was used for storage. Wu Yu said that there was even a basement there.


    The door of the shack was not locked and was only shut. We pushed open the door to be greeted by a room filled with items. It was around ten square meters in size and even had a staircase going down to the basement.


    Right then, I became shocked when I heard some noise.


    It was the sounds of a man and a woman. I had imagined it while reading books and had heard it in shows, but this was my first time listening to it live. The man¡¯s groans sounded muffled, while the woman sounded gentle. There were even sounds of objects being knocked down.


    I had never expected such a scene to occur in the Cheng residence. I looked up at Wu Yu, and he also seemed surprised. I could only think about who this couple was, and why they would come here to have fun.


    A strange thought also came to mind¡ªseeing that they were so gutsy, that must mean that old madam Cheng had no idea about this.


    I tugged at Wu Yu¡¯s shirt and lowered my voice, ¡°Should we just leave? I mean, it wouldn¡¯t be nice to disturb them¡­¡±


    He did not move.


    ¡°No,¡± his voice was similarly low as he said, ¡°We haven¡¯t checked the basement, and we need to know who these two people are.¡±


    My eyes widened. He was not wrong. What if this was the cause of the fire and we did not find out?


    Wu Yu took a look at me before letting out an audible cough.


    The noises in the basement immediately disappeared. I felt the intense awkwardness in the air, but it would not be good to leave now. As such, I stood behind Wu Yu, trying to make my presence negligible. However, Wu Yu let out a playful smile and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so nervous about these things. We¡¯re all grown ups.¡± He continued after a brief pause, ¡°You were pretty gutsy with your words and actions today.¡±


    Sounds of footsteps rang out. One sounded calm, while the other seemed to be procrastinating. Then a man and a woman came up from the steps. They had tidied up their clothes, but their faces were still red, and their hair messy.


    Though I had not expected this from these two, it was still reasonable.

 Chapter 114: Wu Yu 15 (1)

    I was fairly surprised when I saw the two of them here. Then again, no one else would do this.


    The afternoon sky was grey, and the Chengs had settled down for this cold day. With a coat draped over his shoulder and a shirt that was not completely buttoned up, Zheng Zhiwei came up the stairs with one hand holding the rails. Looking obviously upset, he turned and fixed his gaze on Tan Jiao and I.


    Cheng Baozhu was behind him. Wearing a sweater and a dress, her hair was a mess, and her face was glowing red. She looked down and seemed very embarrassed.


    The four of us stood there in that cramped shed. In the end, Zheng Zhiwei put on a smile and said, ¡°Why have the two of you come here?¡± He took a glance at Cheng Baozhu and continued, ¡°I thought no one would come here during the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Professor Cheng asked me to help with some plumbing issues, so I came to grab a wrench.¡± I had no plans of telling him the truth. Fortunately, Tan Jiao picked up on that and said nothing.


    I did not really like people like Zheng Zhiwei. Arrogant and pretentious.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I thought the two of you were looking for somewhere like this,¡± Zheng Zhiwei said in a joking tone.


    My brows had knitted but Tan Jiao, who was standing behind me, asked, ¡°Mr. Zheng, what do you mean? Why would we look for a place like this?¡±


    In the past, I had flipped through the novels Wu Miao read. Thinking that Tan Jiao must know very well what he meant, I could not help but let out a chuckle.


    However, Zheng Zhiwei did not get angry at Tan Jiao''s indifferent retort, merely smiling at her.


    Cheng Baozhu, who had been silent the whole time, spoke out at that moment, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room.¡±


    Grabbing her by the arm, Zheng Zhiwei said lovingly, ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. It¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Then he turned to us. ¡°Look for whatever you¡¯re looking for. But remember to keep this a secret.¡±


    After receiving an affirmative nod from me, Zheng Zhiwei placed his arm around Cheng Baozhu and left.


    ¡°Are we¡­ still going down the basement? I mean¡­ they were just there...it wouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± Tan Jiao asked in a hesitant voice.


    I could not help letting out a laugh and giving her head a gentle smack. ¡°What lewd thoughts have you filled up your mind with?¡±


    The two of us headed down to the basement, with her following closely behind me. With a ray of sunlight shining through one of the only windows in the basement, I saw the nervousness and excitement in Tan Jiao¡¯s eyes.


    The basement was crammed with stuff, but there was nothing that could start a fire. There was only some scrunched up tissue on the floor and a woman¡¯s coat laying on some boxes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I did not want to stay here any longer.


    With her face glowing slightly red, Tan Jiao asked, ¡°Should we bring Cheng Baozhu her coat?¡±


    ¡°No need. She¡¯ll come grab it on her own.¡±


    Tan Jiao¡¯s face was still glowing red when we left the basement, but her expression seemed to say that she had experienced this countless times.


    A thought came to mind, and I said, ¡°Now, do you still think that Zheng Zhiwei is a good guy? He has absolutely no regard for his girlfriend, bringing her to such a place. He didn¡¯t even close the door properly.¡±


    ¡°He is too playful and not reliable. I don¡¯t like people like him.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said, looking at her. I must admit, I was quite pleased when I heard that.


    Suddenly, she chuckled as though she had understood what I meant. Her cuteness once again activated something in me. I became alert knowing that I should not indulge myself in such feelings or have expectations that I should not have. Ultimately, I turned to look somewhere else and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    x

 Chapter 115: Wu Yu 15 (2)

    ¡°But¡­¡± Tan Jiao hesitated and gently poked my back. ¡°Cheng Baozhu must¡¯ve fallen head over heels for Zheng Zhiwei for some reason. Sometimes, what a woman wants is not a man''s idea of being respectful.¡±


    Even though it was only a poke, I felt as if her soft touch had gone through my back and straight to my heart. Yet, she was already in front of me with her hands behind her back as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go then, Ah Yu.¡±


    She seemed somewhat happy, walking leisurely on our way back. Her expression looked calm as if she had not said anything just now.


    I, on the other hand, still felt a weak, restless voice constantly urging me.


    When we got back to the garden, we saw Feng Yan sitting alone there, enjoying some tea. She was wearing a thick, white downed jacket and a black dress. She greeted us with a smile.


    She invited the two of us to tea. I must admit that a warm cup of tea in the cold truly warmed and calmed my heart. I had always respected Professor Cheng and his wife. As such, I was determined to save them from the fire.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the professor?¡± Tan Jiao asked.


    With a smile, Feng Yan replied, ¡°Probably in his reading room. We sometimes don¡¯t see each other for the whole day.¡±


    ¡°How is Ruying¡¯s cold?¡± I asked out of courtesy.


    ¡°She¡¯s much better now. She always catches a cold, so don¡¯t be too worried.¡±


    At that moment, some noise came from the front of the garden. They were from the workers that we saw yesterday. Feng Yan stood up and told us, ¡°I need to attend to them. You guys carry on.¡±


    Then one of the workers called out, ¡°Miss Cheng, we¡¯ve come to work.¡±


    Feng Yan walked over, greeting them with a smile as she asked, ¡°Have you two eaten lunch?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, Miss Cheng.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go cook up some of the dumplings we made this morning. You guys can start working, I¡¯ll bring you the food later.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Cheng,¡± the two said simultaneously.


    The two workers took a few glances at us before going to the other side of the garden to work.


    ¡°Your professor and his wife respect each other a lot. I haven¡¯t seen them talking once today.¡±


    I did not think there was anything strange about this. The professor was conservative, a workaholic. Naturally, he would not be too close to his wife. As such, I thought that their relationship seemed normal. However, later events would prove that women are sometimes more sensitive about these things compared to men. Especially a woman like Tan Jiao who liked to come up with pretty far-fetched theories about things.


    At that moment, Tan Jiao¡¯s phone rang. It was the phone that I got her from the village. She seemed surprised. ¡°Zhuang Yu, why are you calling me? I thought you were already leaving?¡±


    She got up and walked away. Perhaps the conversation with Zhuang Yu was private. Keeping my distance, I followed her. When she stopped by some bushes, I took out a cigarette and waited for her.


    The two talked for quite some time. The volume was low, so I could not hear anything. Initially, Tan Jiao would take glances at me from time to time. Later on, she turned her back to me.


    After finishing three cigarettes, her conversation with Zhuang Yu finally ended. Yet, she stood there without moving.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I came to her after putting out the cigarette.


    Tan Jiao turned to me with a smile, but her eyes looked watery. ¡°Zhuang Yu said¡­ she¡¯s worried about me, so she decided to come after getting back home.¡±

 Chapter 116: Wu Yu 15 (3)

    I could not help but laugh after hearing that. ¡°What did she figure out?¡±


    ¡°I think she must have figured out that the two unlucky buggers jumping through space and time are us. She is pretty smart too, like you.¡±


    ¡°Your friend really cares about you.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Tan Jiao said with a smile.


    ¡°Then why were you upset just now?¡±


    Shocked by what I said, she lowered her face and said, ¡°I just¡­ I think our predicament is pretty sad. Even though we solved the case together with Zhuang Yu and Shen Shiyan, the two of them have no memory of it after we travelled back in time. Zhuang Yu was able to figure it out after I explained things to her again. But what about next time? Will the people around us continue to forget things that we have done?¡±


    So that was why she looked sad just now. Placing my hand on her shoulder, I comforted her. ¡°This chaos will end. When we finally arrive at the final point, everything will return to normal. Maybe Zhuang Yu will even become jealous of the time travelling experience you have.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, that crazy woman would probably be very jealous of my experience.¡± Then she looked up at me with her sparkling eyes and asked, ¡°Ah Yu, do you feel sad or disappointed? I¡¯ve always felt that you were the one pushing us along this journey of ours.¡±


    I thought about it for a second and answered, ¡°There are some things that I want badly, so I do sometimes become tired and disheartened. I also worry that my efforts will lead to nothing and that everything will become pointless. But I know we only have one path to take, so I will definitely soldier on.¡±


    ¡°Ah Yu, please don¡¯t feel disheartened. You¡¯re already doing an amazing job. You¡¯ve gone through so much, yet you¡¯re here trying to save the Cheng family. In fact I¡­ I¡¯m not that generous, but I am willing to join you to do these things. I know we didn¡¯t choose the path before us, but we can definitely try to make something out of it.¡±


    My heart felt warm and calm at that moment while silence surrounded us as we stood there under the tree. Occasionally, bits of snow would fall from above. Neither of us spoke. My hand was still on her shoulder, and her beautiful, sparkling eyes were still fixed on me. I did not know if she would shut her eyes like last time and expect something, but I had to ask myself whether I would let this opportunity slip away? To let this wonderful woman slip away from me.


    ¡°Ah Choo!¡± Tan Jiao let out a hard sneeze before immediately hiding her face in embarrassment. I chuckled and quickly pulled out some tissues for her. Looking somewhere else, she took the tissue.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s go back inside.¡±


    After wiping her nose, she said, ¡°No. I¡¯m still in a bad mood, so I want to stay here for a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Then I¡¯ll smoke a cigarette.¡± However, just as I lit up my cigarette, I heard her soft and tender voice saying, ¡°But Ah Yu, I¡¯m cold.¡±


    Our gazes met. Her eyes were sparkling and looked at me like a soft and weak creature. At that moment, I felt a bit of dryness in my throat.


    This woman was definitely not easy or naive.


    With the cigarette in my mouth, I was about to take off my jacket. But before I could do that, she had placed her hand on my arm and said, ¡°Don¡¯t. You¡¯ll be cold.¡±


    It was as if time had stood still at that moment. Before I could react, she had placed her head on my chest, right between my unzipped jacket.


    Neither of us moved.


    Then after a while, I raised my hand and gently placed them around her waist.


    ¡°Are you still cold?¡± I asked tenderly.


    With her face lowered, seemingly unwilling to look at me, she said with a soft voice, ¡°No. I feel warm now.¡±


    ¡­¡­


    This was our second day at the Chengs, the night before the fire.


    The day went by normally, and we checked everything that could potentially cause a fire. Nonetheless,we still got ready just in case a fire broke out in the forest.


    In fact, my heart would race and jump because of that woman. But everytime my heart calmed down, I would feel as if something was melting away; it was like some other emotion was growing inside me.


    At night, my sleep was affected once more. This was actually something abnormal, as I had been having less and less nightmares lately. Even though I still felt something missing in my heart, I had become used to it.


    Again, I fell into restraints in my dream. Something was tying me up, layer by layer, bringing me closer to the darkness. The restraints were tight, affecting my breathing. I broke out in cold sweat as I felt the stickiness and sliminess. Something was even close to me.


    ¡­¡­


    I snapped my eyes open and was greeted by the blank ceiling once more. The darkness, wetness, and entanglement were nowhere to be found.


    I sat up, took a sip from the cup of water on the table, and saw the opened window. Out on this moonless night, the mountain range looked like dark beasts gathering outside.


    Then, a chilly feeling hit my heart.


    I recalled shutting the windows before going to bed.


    Those dreams were not random. Someone must have sneaked into my room at night and stayed beside me.