92

Our Reality

Chapter 92

“How is the situation inside?”

Song Qinglan’s voice sounded in his mind.

Through the subcutaneous communicator, Song Qinglan tried his best to remain calm and composed, but there was still a hint of some anxiousness.

Ji Yushi still had one more step left. His movements were mechanical. When he heard this question, he stopped.

“Ji Yushi.” Song Qinglan ordered sternly, “Say something!”

The corridor had returned to silence.

The sound of the other person’s footsteps disappeared.

Ji Yushi looked back. He saw through the window the small figure carrying a schoolbag leave. The yellow raincoat was made of waterproof material. Light raindrops fell onto the surface, gathering together to form large drops. He passed through the shadows of the camphor trees and disappeared in the distance.

“It’s me.” Ji Yushi replied to Song Qinglan through his mind. His tone was much calmer than he thought, “The so-called ‘murderer’ I met in the corridor back then…..the one wearing a purple hoodie whose face I couldn’t see, it was me.”

The two weren’t able to see the murderer appear despite waiting for so long. It was only until Song Qinglan helped him put on the hood and he was soaked by the rain that he realised this.

Song Qinglan’s breathing stopped for a few seconds. It was soon followed by a low curse.

He also understood what Ji Yushi meant by meeting the conditions and what he meant by completing a set event at a set time. They had already experienced something like this in the Ouroboros mission!

Not to mention Ji Yushi who was the involved party, even the palms of himself as an outsider was covered in cold sweat.

Without a murderer, could Sheng Yun’s case really have been a suicide? Or was there another murderer?

Song Qinglan almost wanted to rush into the community because he knew better than ever Ji Yushi’s current situation and mood.

But he couldn’t comfort Ji Yushi at this moment, nor could he intervene with the rest of the matter. In his shock, he could only suppress his frustration and quickly ask, “What are you going to do?”

“I plan to…..continue.”

He took another step and continued moving

Those past seventeen years had been dark days for him.

He had constantly been searching for a face he couldn’t remember and even thought he didn’t see it. He had never thought that it would turn out to be himself.

Everything had a cause and effect.

Everything he was doing now was something that was done in the past. Did anything change? He didn’t know. He could only follow his intuition. Perhaps this was the only way he could finish drawing the circle —- The only way he could reach the truth.

Hearing his answer, Song Qinglan’s voice through the private channel was scarily low.

“Okay.” He said, “I’m here with you.”

Ji Yushi didn’t know if he had responded to him. Perhaps he responded with a ‘mhn’ or perhaps he didn’t.

He stepped onto the new floor.

He didn’t notice that his breathing was very quick, and he also didn’t notice how quickly his heart was beating.

In front of him was a familiar old, black door.

A minute ago, the eight-year-old Sheng Han closed it and went to school.

Seventeen years ago, Ji Yushi bid farewell to his father here.

He raised his hand and rang the doorbell.

No one answered.

He rang the doorbell again because he knew his father was still at home.

This time the door opened.

The young professor wearing glasses appeared behind the door. He looked at him and asked, “You are?”

Hearing Sheng Yun’s voice, Song Qinglan’s breathing stopped.

Ji Yush’s eyelashes trembled slightly. He didn’t know if it was thanks to the artificial face or if it was because his mental state had collapsed to the point that he had become numb, he appeared very calm, “Hello Teacher Sheng, my name is Ji Yushi.”

Not Sheng Han.

Ji Yushi.

A name was just a title, but it was enough to change the goal he would pursue his entire life.

“Ji Yushi?”

“Yes. Professor Ji asked me to come. Can I come in?”

Hearing that a friend had asked him to come and the other party also happened to have the surname Ji, Sheng Yun only hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Come in.”

Ji Yushi stepped inside.

No one knew how important this one step of his was to him.

The place where the father and son lived didn’t have any womanly air, and it was even a little messy.

He turned and looked at the dried Boston fern. In those countless dreams he had, he had constantly thought that he should water it a little.

“Please sit.” Sheng Yun moved away the clothes piled up on the sofa to make some room, “Sorry, the place is a little messy.”

Ji Yushi, “Thank you.”

The Sheng Yun before him had changed his clothes. He wasn’t wearing the outfit he wore two or three minutes ago when he had breakfast with Sheng Han.

In Ji Yushi’s memory, he remembered clearly that his father was wearing a light grey dress shirt and black trousers. His eyes moved to the dining table not far away. The plates there had not yet been cleaned up and there was still half a sandwich left on the plate belonging to Sheng Yun—-His father was usually quite casual. Even if some crumbs or sauce fell onto his trousers during his meal, he wouldn’t change out of it if it wasn’t too visible. Something like this had happened during the breakfast he had just now and his father had just subconsciously patted it off and continued to eat while writing notes.

At this moment, Sheng Yun had changed into a pair of beige trousers and even changed his shirt.

The visitor was a guest. Sheng Yun went and poured some water for Ji Yushi, “Why didn’t Old Ji call if he needed something? He even made you come all this way? I would have already gone to work at this time.”

Ji Yushi, “I met your son just now, so I knew you were at home.”

Sheng Yun asked, “You know my son?”

Ji Yushi said, “I saw him once at Professor Ji’s place.”

Sheng Yun’s voice travelled to the kitchen, “I see. When the doorbell rang just now, I thought he forgot something.”

Ji Yushi’s eyes fell onto the bookshelf again. There was a stack of documents compiled by his father. It could be said that all those years of hard work were all there.

They were supposed to be in the study but at this moment they were in the living room.

He had recalled this moment countless times before and he also saw that stack of documents many times but why didn’t he notice this until now?

There was the sound of water from the kitchen.

It was Sheng Yun washing the cup.

Ji Yushi stood up and walked towards the documents.

He saw on the very top information his father had written that morning when he was having breakfast and beside it was the transparent panel his father used for work.

he asked, “With so much paperwork packed, are you going on a business trip?”

The sound of water stopped.

Sheng Yun didn’t answer.

Ji Yushi subconsciously took another two steps and arrived at the entrance of the study.

The door was tightly closed here and flowingout through the crack under the door was bright red blood. It quietly sank into the dark carpet, so it was almost undetectable.

In an instant, Ji Yushi’s ears were roaring.

Seventeen years ago, Sheng Han who had returned home from school found his father’s body in a pool of blood in the study.

“Clunk.” A soft sound.

Ji Yushi looked back. The Sheng Yun behind him hand placed down the cup half filled with water, leaving fingerprints on the wall of the cup.

They looked at each other.

For a moment, even the sound of a needle falling could be heard.

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Song Qinglan asked through the private channel, “What’s wrong?!”

Ji Yushi looked at the Sheng Yun in front of him. He heard himself ask, “Who are you?”

Sheng Yun didn’t speak.

“Or more specifically, which year are you from?” Ji Yushi paused at this point and quickly followed it up with the answer to his own question, “I think you should be from a year ago, that is, April 6, 1438. The morning you went to work, you discovered that all your clothes had not been washed and there wasn’t anything to wear so you could only randomly put together this set on you. Those beige trousers were originally paired with a white shirt but unfortunately in the evening of October 14, 1437, Sheng Han used the washing machine for the first time and accidentally ruined that shirt.”

He had managed to casually mention all the fine details of his daily life with his son from a year ago. Sheng Yun was alert, “Who are you?!”

Ji Yushi was also silent.

The blood in the study was still spreading. The colour of the carpet was getting darker.

When Sheng Han later returns from school, he would find the carpet completely soaked and the air filled with the smell of blood. Following that, he would hesitantly open the door to the study and be met with a sight that would change his life from then on.

Ji Yushi took out the small black and white game console. It was a little mottled at the back and looked very worn out. It was unknown how many years it had been used for.

And right now, on the cabinet beside the cup of water, sat a completely intact game console. It was a gift Sheng Yun had given his son a year ago.

Ji Yushi placed the one in his hand next to it.

The two game consoles, one old and one new. They were identical.

Sheng Yun was struck by lightning. He understood everything in an instant. He was stunned in place: “You—–”

Just like that, tears fell from Ji Yushi’s eyes.

It was like Sheng Yun had suddenly returned to his senses. He strode over but he bypassed Ji Yushi who stood there and instead went straight to the stack of documents as well as the transparent panel beside him

Ji Yushi had never felt so cold before.

Even when he was about to freeze to death during the Chaos mission, it was a thousand times better than how he felt right now, “Why?!”

Sheng Yun gathered the documents and made a move to leave but he eventually stopped, “I have to do this!”

Ji Yushi continued to ask, “Why?!”

Tears flowed down Ji Yushi’s face. The face under the artificial face was extremely fragile and he was actually on the verge of breaking down. Disregarding all his rational thoughts, he only hysterically asked, “Why are you doing this?!”

“Listen to me, this is the only way to get out of that project.” Sheng Yun held tightly onto the documents and transparent panel, “These materials are very important to me. I’ve planned this for a year but couldn’t do it a year ago because there were still many puzzles that hadn’t been solved. I gave myself a year. One year should be enough for me to thoroughly research everything!”

Facing the young man who was already about the same height as himself, Sheng Yun couldn’t use his fatherly tone. Rather than giving his son an explanation, he was instead explaining the entire situation, “Humans are not gods. Time has to continue in a linear manner. No one should change the way it works! I have to stop it!”

Ji Yushi’s lips trembled, “So you……”

In order to terminate that project and get out of it completely, decided to kill yourself?!

Sheng Yun’s eyes were red, “I just didn’t think that on the appointed day, I would encounter the future you!”

Reaching this point, he also couldn’t control his tears, “I’m sorry.”

They had respectively crossed through one year and seventeen years. They met in this place which contained the memories of the two people.

Two generations of traversers. Two people with different purposes.

“So all of this was predetermined?” Ji Yushi’s vision was blurred, “You planned today’s death a year ago?”

“It’s a death in a biological sense.” Time was tight so Sheng Yun spoke very quickly, “I will go back to one year ago and from there travel to another time and space. Perhaps it would be a few years later, or perhaps twenty years later. I will stay here for as long as possible until I complete my project and find a better way to stabilise everything and let time move forward smoothly!”

“Sheng Han.”

“Dad didn’t really die.” He said, “You have to be strong.”

…….

“The Inspectors are coming.”

Ji Yushi’s entire body was shaking.

By the time he returned to his senses, the place was empty. Only the smell of blood from the study had become more intense.

He rushed out the door and ran down the stairs two steps at a time.

What should happen had already happened. It didn’t matter if history was changed, he had more to say and more questions to ask!

Through the subcutaneous communicator, Ji Yushi shouted, “Song Qinglan!”

As if standing by, Song Qinglan didn’t dally for even a second, “I’m here.”

Hearing those two words, hearing Song Qinglan’s voice, Ji Yushi had the urge to cry again.

Without having to verbally make his request, Song Qinglan who had heard the entire thing while outside the community completely understood his thoughts.

“Don’t worry.” The pleasant male voice was cold, “I saw him.”

*

Ji Yushi ran past the area shaded by camphor trees that he had walked through numerous times as a child and ran out of the community he had lived in for eight years which carried all of his childhood memories.

At this moment, Ji Yushi was even thinking, no wonder the incident was deemed a suicide back then!

A person had travelled from the past to the future to kill themselves. As long as they returned to their original time and space after killing their future self and continued to live without incident and without changing their mind, they could just wait for the moment their past self comes to kill them. This was simply a perfect circle. It was flawless.

The past and future were intertwined. It was so messy, it was like a spiderweb that couldn’t be unravelled.

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he felt.

Wait a minute!

Ji Yushi stopped in his steps. If that was the case, then——On the day of his death, his father should have already known for a long time that his past self would come and find his future self!

In other words, his father knew the day of his death at least a year in advance.

Smiling while in the face of death, acting calmly like usual, what kind of perseverance and strong mentality did he need to be able to do that?!

Ji Yushi had too many questions and too many things he needed an answer to.

He ran straight out of the community. It was raining wherever he could see. The bus across the street drove away, taking away with it a wave of busy office workers and students. Sheng Yun was more familiar with the surveillance system here than he was and definitely wouldn’t appear in a conspicuous place, so he was certain he didn’t get on that bus.

As soon as the bus left, there were fewer people in the rain.

Ji Yushi suddenly looked in one direction and his breathing hastened —- With his excellent eyesight, he saw Sheng Yun flash by carrying a bag. He disappeared into the area covered with vines.

That was exactly where he and Song Qinglan was before.

He gritted his teeth and rushed over towards the bench.

In the heavy rain, he saw Song Qinglan employ a one-handed grappling technique and successfully suppress Sheng Yun. He had his head bowed as he said something before the two of them turned and looked over at him. Both of their expression suddenly changed.

“Carefu——”

“Bang—–”

It was a muffled sound of gun firing.

At that moment, time seemed to have slowed down.

Song Qinglan’s voice ripped into Ji Yushi’s ears and at the same time, a bullet also entered his body.

The feeling of a bullet penetrating through his skin and muscle was very familiar. He first felt the heavy blow and it was soon followed by overwhelming pain. The moment blood spattered out, he slipped and fell into the mud.

It hurts.

Ji Yushi’s face was pressed against the cold asphalt. His eyelashes were wet from the rain. He saw several people in dark blue uniforms walk out from a hidden part of the street, all with guns in their hands and a dignified expression.

They were the Inspectors who had come to inspect the scene after that incident happened that year.

And he was regarded as the murderer described by Sheng Han.

Suddenly, someone pulled him into their embrace and pressed his face against their body, bringing him a touch of warmth.

“……How are you?”

That person held him tightly and his voice trembled so much, it was almost inaudible. He continued to apply pressure to the wound on his chest.

“Ji Yushi, say something. Answer me.”

Warm liquid fell onto Ji Yushi’s face. He opened his eyes with great difficulty and saw an unfamiliar face with no memorable features crying. Only that pair of dark eyes allowed him to recognise who it was. He didn’t have the superb abilities of Lin Xinlan who could recognise Song Qinglan despite the fact that he was using an artificial face, but he recognised those eyes.

“Song…..Qinglan.”

He said unconsciously.

Song Qinglan’s hands were completely soaked with blood. He kissed his forehead with his cold lips, “…….I’m here.”

Ji Yushi looked over at the bench. Not far away, a figure knelt under the vines, completely distraught. He didn’t dare step out of the shadows that obscured him.

On the other side, several Inspectors approached them with their guns. Onlookers screamed from the other side of the road.

He was held in Song Qinglan’s arms. He didn’t want to move a single finger. In fact, he wanted to tell Song Qinglan that only with this could the conditions be considered as being met.

But he really had no strength left.

He tried his best but could only move his lips. He silently said one word to that person in the distance, “Go.”

Go and do what needed to be done.

Go to another time and space.

Go and find that stabilised point more than ten years in the future and create the parent Tianqiong system.

Let me use my last efforts to complete this circle.

The young professor used all his energy to support himself up before finally disappearing under the wooden roof covered in vines.

Ji Yushi’s heart was very calm.

The Inspectors surrounded them. Facing those guns, Song Qinglan raised his head and said something to them, like an angry beast roaring.

He couldn’t hear it clearly.

The bin on the roadside had fallen over at some unknown point in time. Trash from within it scattered all over the ground and the little cake from earlier had also fallen out.

The last time he came here, that cake was left forgotten on the bench.

This time, the sweet smell attracted over stray animals looking to scavenge through the bin.

The rain was becoming smaller, and the raindrops were becoming finer.

It was like there was a hazy mist covering his eyes.

Through his blurred vision, Ji Yushi saw a group of kittens who seemed to have just been weaned. They looked like they were only two months old at most.

It was unknown where the mother had gone. Perhaps it was because they were too hungry, they constantly cried and eagerly ate the sweet tasting cake.

It was three little black kittens.

Their entire body was pitch-black. There weren’t any other colours mixed in.

KK has something to say:

So much to comment about but too overwhelmed to say anything ><

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But shouldn’t those Inspectors be acting more discretely? To avoid causing changes to the past……