[July 21, 2025. Weather: clear.]
[Finally.
After waiting so long, the mission has finally arrived.
I have waited for far too long… I can barely hold on anymore…
I am willing to pay any price, as long as the end result is a good one.
This is the most important thing in my life.
And also the last thing in my life.
I must obey.
I must succeed.
I must… make up for the regret.
I know very clearly that I am only a chess piece of the Mutual Aid Society, insignificant and expendable.
But I do it willingly, without complaint, even with gratitude.
After all.
My life, my past, my future—they all exist to serve this very mont.
It has been a long ti since I last wrote in a diary.
During these final days, I should record a little more.
At least then sothing will secretly remain in this world, in case… soday… ah.
Forget it.
Let bear this sin alone.
There is no one I can speak to. Writing it here is enough; putting it down feels better than keeping it locked inside my heart.
I’m sorry!
I’m sorry!
I’m sorry!
I know what I’m doing is wrong.
But…
I’m sorry.
I had no choice.]
“Ahhh!!!!”
At the entrance of the hotel, the mont several of the female classmates saw the girl’s face clearly, they covered their mouths and scread at the sa ti, desperately hiding behind the horoom teacher! The boys were no different—whatever drunken haze remained vanished instantly, their faces turning pale as they instinctively took a step back.
Thump!
Wang Hao stood there blankly, eyes fixed and unfocused. His legs suddenly gave way and he dropped straight to his knees, his kneecaps pressing down onto Jiang Ran’s sneakers.
But Jiang Ran had no ti to care about that.
He held his breath, staring rigidly at the water-blue figure standing in the evening breeze.
That was…
A figure he had longed for day and night, a figure he had never forgotten for even a single mont.
That was…
The childhood friend he had known since they were little, the person who had spent most of her life beside him.
That was…
The girl who had been rcilessly erased by the butterfly effect within the vortex of the Worldline Transition—soone he had not seen for three entire months!
“X… Xiaoxue?”
Jiang Ran’s lips trembled slightly, unable to believe the scene before him was real.
Yet how could he possibly mistake that face?
Only this girl.
Only the girl he knew best in the entire world.
Only the girl who had been his neighbor since birth, who had grown up with him, who had never once been separated from him—from elentary school to middle school, from high school to university…
He would never mistake her.
[The sa figure, the sa hairstyle, the sa face, the sa eyes—even the curve of her collarbone and the lines at the corners of her eyes matched perfectly, down to the smallest detail.]
There was no doubt.
The girl standing before him was the childhood friend he had searched for endlessly, the one he had tried every possible way to pull back from the grave of the worldline.
Cheng ngxue.
But the problem was—
On the current No. 1 worldline, Cheng ngxue had clearly died.
Two years ago, in that car accident, all forty-one teachers and students present had witnessed it. Jiang Ran and Wang Hao had even visited the cetery several tis to sweep Cheng ngxue’s grave.
How could she possibly be alive?
No wonder the girls were terrified, hiding behind the horoom teacher with pale faces.
Jiang Ran himself felt his scalp go numb, goosebumps rising all over his body.
If the person standing there, “returned from the dead,” were anyone other than Cheng ngxue, he probably would have reacted exactly like the girls.
Soone who had clearly died.
Cremated.
Buried.
A ghost?
A spirit?
Anyone would think the sa.
But Jiang Ran was different.
He had experienced multiple worldline changes, and imdiately thought of another possibility.
[Could it be that just now, at so unnoticed mont, the worldline had quietly shifted—quietly transitioned? That this was no longer Worldline No. 1, but a brand-new Worldline No. 2, or perhaps even a return to Worldline No. 0?]
That was the most reasonable explanation for what was happening.
But—
Clearly, that was not the case.
First of all, the familiar symptoms of a spaceti shift—ringing in his ears and overwhelming dizziness—had not appeared.
That was ironclad proof the worldline had not transitioned.
It had been verified countless tis before. No matter what caused the worldline to jump, he would always experience a buzzing in his ears, a spinning sensation, dizziness lasting roughly two seconds.
Since none of those symptoms had occurred, the worldline had definitely not transitioned.
Second—and even more telling—
All the other classmates were shocked by Cheng ngxue’s “return from the dead.”
That ant the worldline truly had not changed.
The fact that Cheng ngxue had died in the car accident two years ago remained established history, sothing everyone present knew perfectly well.
So…
[Who exactly is the Cheng ngxue standing before us?]
Or rather—
[Who is this girl who looks, sounds, and matches Cheng ngxue in every possible detail?]
Contradiction.
Horror.
Resistance.
All these emotions and questions left Jiang Ran frozen in place, unable to take even a single step toward her.
After a brief mont of stunned silence, the classmates erupted into chaos.
“My god!”
“X-Xiaoxue?!”
“A ghost!”
“How is that possible?!”
“You—you already…”
“Zhou Xiong is dead, and now Xiaoxue is alive again?!”
The classmates—boys and girls alike—were frantic, their eyes wide as they stared at Cheng ngxue, who had appeared like a ghost.
“Ahaha…”
Cheng ngxue scratched the back of her head awkwardly and smiled apologetically.
“Sorry about that. I guess I scared everyone.”
“I actually didn’t plan to appear like this… I was worried it would scare you all, which is why I didn’t say anything in the class QQ group before, and didn’t contact anyone in advance.”
“I wanted to co back earlier and explain everything in person… but things didn’t work out, and it kept getting delayed. If I didn’t rush here now, I might have missed the reunion entirely.”
Xiaoxue’s words.
Xiaoxue’s voice.
Xiaoxue’s way of speaking.
To Jiang Ran, it felt as if only a single day had passed.
Just like the laughter and bickering three months ago in the Film Cara Club room at Donghai University.
The Cheng ngxue before him was no different from the Cheng ngxue back then.
Not even slightly.
Exactly the sa.
As if copied and pasted.
As if she had walked across a long bridge of blue butterflies through spaceti, stepping directly from Worldline No. 0 into Worldline No. 1.
Just as before.
Just like the past.
As if she had never died in this world.
The classmates stared at one another, exchanging bewildered looks.
No matter how one thought about it, Cheng ngxue herself admitted she had frightened everyone—aning she knew perfectly well that her sudden appearance was abnormal.
That calm, logical explanation gradually helped the crowd settle down.
How could the dead co back to life?
They believed Zhou Xiong indeed possessed imnse wealth, connections, and influence.
With those resources, he might easily grant everyone’s wishes.
But reviving soone who had already died?
That was impossible.
Physics itself would not allow it.
Even if Zhou Xiong possessed wealth rivaling entire nations and connections reaching the heavens, he could never accomplish sothing so absurd.
It was only because so many shocking events had happened tonight that everyone’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point, causing Cheng ngxue’s sudden appearance to frighten them so badly.
Now that they cald down and thought carefully—
The old classmate Cheng ngxue standing before them was alive and breathing. How could that be fake?
Since that was the case, it ant the death incident two years ago must have hidden circumstances.
Considering Cheng ngxue had just ntioned the words “return to the country”…
Could it be that—
[After the accident back then, due to so special reason, Cheng ngxue’s family had been forced to leave the country and hide abroad under assud identities?]
The more they thought about it, the more it seed like the only possible explanation.
“Xiaoxue, you…”
If anyone present was least surprised by Cheng ngxue’s appearance, it was undoubtedly Teacher Gao.
Teacher Gao and Cheng ngxue’s father were fellow villagers. They had grown up together, childhood friends with a very close relationship.
So within the class, this was no secret.
Everyone knew about it.
…
(Students crowded around Cheng ngxue, asking questions nonstop. Wang Hao finally climbed up from the ground and rushed into the crowd.)
anwhile, at the noisy hotel entrance, only Jiang Ran remained standing off to the side, watching the continuation of this surreal spectacle from a short distance.
To be honest—
Jiang Ran’s heart was full of contradictions.
Imagine if, at this very mont, he had genuinely used the old electronic cannon to send a ti-traveling text ssage—then experienced the buzzing dizziness of a worldline shift—and after opening his eyes two seconds later…
Cheng ngxue appeared in front of him like this.
In that case, he would be more excited than anyone.
He would rush forward first, grab Cheng ngxue, and pour out everything that had happened.
Qin Feng’s betrayal.
His own struggle to repair the old electronic cannon.
How he had passed through countless trials to bring her back.
At that mont, Jiang Ran would truly feel joy, excitent, and exhilaration.
He would tell Cheng ngxue everything honestly.
Without hiding a single detail.
After all—
[In his heart, Cheng ngxue was the closest person in the world besides his parents—the person he trusted most.]
But now—
He did not dare.
And he would not do that.
The Cheng ngxue before him looked completely genuine, completely alive.
Yet she was not soone he had personally brought back.
He did not understand how Cheng ngxue had “returned from the dead.”
Was it really as she said—that she had simply gone abroad with her parents under an assud identity for two years?
Or—
Were Zhou Xiong and the so-called Lilith truly capable of miracles?
Was that phone, the one said to grant any wish, really powerful enough to resurrect Cheng ngxue?
Jiang Ran could not judge the truth.
Just like he could not determine whether the Cheng ngxue before him was real or false.
That was the greatest difference between him and everyone else.
The others had never experienced ti travel.
They had never personally witnessed a Worldline Transition.
And Zhou Xiong’s and Lilith’s so-called “superpowers,” to them, were nothing more than “money power”—every fulfilled wish ultimately boiled down to wealth and influence bending the world.
So to everyone else, Cheng ngxue standing here had nothing to do with truth or falsehood.
If she was alive, then she was real.
There was no possibility of deception.
What you see exists.
What exists is reasonable.
What is reasonable is fact.
That was the logic everyone believed.
But—
Jiang Ran was different.
He had experienced too much.
And combined with Lilith and the phone that could grant any wish—two things that matched almost perfectly with the cringeworthy fantasy concept collection he had once written—these coincidences forced Jiang Ran to question whether the Cheng ngxue before him was genuine.
If she was real, then everything was simple.
But—
What if she was fake?
The re thought made his spine run cold.
What kind of “fake” could it be?
Cloning?
Plastic surgery?
Disguise?
Impersonation?
Countless strange possibilities flashed through Jiang Ran’s mind, yet none could convince him.
Because—
[Fake is fake. Real is real.]
This was not copying antiques or producing counterfeit luxury goods.
Cheng ngxue was a living person.
To impersonate soone who had lived for over a decade—with a past, experiences, family, and friends—
How could that possibly succeed?
Wouldn’t the disguise fall apart almost imdiately?
And so—
Jiang Ran simply stood there.
Silently listening.
Over by the crowd, the atmosphere gradually turned cheerful.
Everyone asked questions one after another, surrounding Cheng ngxue. And just like before, she remained gentle, kind, and patient, answering them all.
Two years ago, it turned out, the car accident had left her with severe brain injuries.
She had been on the verge of death.
At the ti, there had been no hope of treatnt in China. In desperation, her parents accepted a new experintal dical proposal from an Arican scientist and took the entire family to the United States.
The treatnt involved the latest research results.
The scientist’s team had extrely strict conditions.
The first requirent was absolute secrecy.
Not a single detail could be revealed.
Even more extre—after the treatnt succeeded, they still had to remain in the United States for two additional years to cooperate with follow-up research.
Their plan had been for Cheng ngxue’s parents to publicly pretend their daughter had died.
A cremation would be arranged.
A funeral held.
The team helped handle the details, eventually burying an urn in the bamboo cetery at Jingshan to deceive everyone.
Afterward, Cheng ngxue’s parents sold their house and left for the United States.
Under the strict agreent, they cut off all contact with China.
Not a single ssage could be sent.
“We didn’t dare disobey them,” Cheng ngxue explained honestly.
“First, my parents were afraid that if we broke the agreent, the team would stop my treatnt. They didn’t dare gamble with my life.”
“Second, the scientist’s team treated our family extrely well. They spent enormous resources to save , helped with my recovery, cared about my education, and even arranged for to attend a university in the United States.”
“You could say that aside from the strict secrecy and the requirent not to contact China, they asked nothing else of us. They took good care of us there, and even helped my father start a business.”
“So… my parents and I truly feel grateful to them. We were also willing to keep our promise and honor the contract by not contacting anyone in China for two years.”
Piece by piece, Cheng ngxue’s experiences over the past two years erged through the classmates’ questions.
Everything beca clear.
Everyone understood the full story.
And most people sympathized with her family’s decision.
“I think it makes sense to keep the secret if that’s what they asked. I an, China had already given up treatnt, and they were still willing to try at any cost.”
“Yeah, if it were my parents, they’d do the sa. When it cos to your child’s life, nothing else matters.”
“Honestly, that scientist doesn’t sound heartless. I thought they’d imprisoned your family or sothing. But they sent you to the University of Pennsylvania and even helped your father start a business… the only condition was two years without contact with China. That sounds acceptable.”
Tonight’s reunion had been twisting, bizarre, almost surreal.
First Zhou Xiong had flaunted his wealth and influence.
Then ca the tragic shock of murder.
And now, the unexpected “return from the dead” of Cheng ngxue.
Horror and joy had arrived one after another.
When Cheng ngxue heard that Zhou Xiong had been murdered, she was shocked and deeply saddened, falling silent for a long ti.
It was already very late.
At the cri scene nearby, the police cars and ambulances had long since departed. The caution tape had been removed.
The restaurant’s final table of custors left.
The staff began cleaning.
The forty-two teachers and students had chatted outside for far too long.
Before they realized it, midnight had arrived.
“Everyone, it’s late. Please head ho safely.”
Teacher Gao still looked deeply saddened.
After all, one of his students had died tragically tonight.
Even though another student thought to be dead had returned with good news, it could not fully erase the grief of the one who had been lost.
Wang Hao worried Teacher Gao might still be drunk and helped him toward the street to hail a taxi.
The other classmates followed along.
And so the reunion of classmates two years after graduation ended amid reluctant farewells and a strange sense of surviving disaster.
At the entrance of the restaurant, only two people remained.
Jiang Ran—who had never joined the crowd, never spoken a single word to Cheng ngxue.
And—
Cheng ngxue, who had repeatedly glanced toward Jiang Ran from the crowd, wanting to say sothing yet holding back each ti.
Now the other classmates had all left.
The two of them stood beneath the moonlight on the roadside.
In the sumr night filled with the sound of cicadas.
Separated by only a few ters, they looked at each other through the darkness.
Finally—
It was Cheng ngxue who moved first.
She slowly walked over to Jiang Ran and gave a small wave.
“Hi, Jiang Ran.”
It was clear she wanted to use a relaxed smile to quietly dissolve the two years of separation between life and death.
As if their last eting had been yesterday.
As if neither of them had ever disappeared from the other’s ti.
But only one second passed.
And Cheng ngxue collapsed into tears.
She could no longer hold it in.
The forced smile vanished instantly from her face, replaced by endless longing and guilt in her eyes.
“Jiang Ran…”
Her lips trembled.
Tears stread down like beads on a string.
“I’m sorry.”
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