Finally seeing the old woman out the door, Tong Yang collapsed onto her bed and let out a deep sigh of relief.
The old lady, likely worried that Tong Yang couldn’t handle the pressure and had suicidal thoughts, had followed her around all morning, nagging her with all sorts of nonsensical advice. Tong Yang’s ears were practically ringing from it. After repeatedly assuring the old woman that she absolutely wasn’t considering suicide, the elderly neighbor had reluctantly left the room, turning back every few steps to make sure.
Her injuries weren’t as severe as she’d initially thought, not bad enough to require stitches.
Tong Yang retrieved her phone from under her pillow, the screen still cracked and jagged. The signal in the building was slightly better during the day, but without Wi-Fi at home, she usually kept her mobile data off to avoid wasting it.
As soon as she turned on the data, group chat messages came flooding in.
Tong Yang wasn’t very social and only had a few group chats, most of which she had muted.
She opened her social app, and [Melon Eating Netizen 007] was buzzing with activity, mostly filled with trivial chatter that didn’t interest her.
Xuexi Shi Weile Gaoqian: [Are there any more news articles about Tong Yang?]
[Gaoqian bro? You’re really into this, huh?]
[I remember there was tons of news about her at the time.]
[By the way, do you want to see a picture of her? She’s super pretty!]
[Wait… yesterday’s news link is gone?! And I can’t find any information about her online either!]
[What are you talking about??? Just a few days ago, I saw posts mourning her!]
[No way???!!!!]
[Everything about the Tong Yang murder case is gone!]
[Damn! I remember it was such a big deal. Even my parents knew about it, but when I asked them, they said they didn’t remember anything like that!]
[For real??? Don’t scare me??]
[If you don’t believe it, search for it yourself!]
[I’ll ask my best friend. She used to post on social media every year on May 28th to mourn Tong Yang.]
…
About three minutes later, the group chat exploded:
[Ahhh! Help! They say they don’t remember anything like that happening!]
[I searched! There’s nothing on Weibo or any browser about it!]
[I asked my friend, and she said she doesn’t remember anyone named Tong Yang!]
[No way? Are we all experiencing some kind of collective parallel universe event? I swear it really happened!]
[Guys, I’m getting chills…]
[Are we the only ones who remember this? That’s too weird!]
[By the way, do you still remember what Tong Yang looked like?]
Xuexi Shi Weile Gaoqian: [Image.jpg]
Xuexi Shi Weile Gaoqian: [Does she look like this?]
Tong Yang casually snapped a selfie and sent it to the group.
[Yes, yes! That’s exactly what she looked like!]
[Side note: She’s absolutely stunning.]
[What’s going on? It feels like no one else remembers this murder case except us.]
[So strange. I remember this case being covered on the national news.]
Xuexi Shi Weile Gaoqian: [Do you guys believe in the supernatural?]
[Nope.]
[I believe in getting rich.]
[Count me in!]
[I only believe in the God of Wealth.]
Xuexi Shi Weile Gaoqian: [What I’m about to say might sound a bit supernatural, but don’t be scared.]*
[???]
[I’m listening.]
Xuexi Shi Weile Gaoqian: [I won’t beat around the bush—I’m from 2024, and my name is Tong Yang.]
[??????]
[!!!!!!]
[Do you even hear yourself?]
[I’m Qin Shi Huang. Send me money.]
[Stop joking around. This isn’t supernatural; it’s some kind of paranormal event.]
[Dude, have you lost it? It’s 2024 right now, and you’re telling us you’re chatting with us from two years ago?]
[I may not be smart, but I’m not stupid.]
Xuexi Shi Weile Gaoqian: [Aren’t you curious why all the news about me disappeared overnight?]
[Dude, are you the one who’s lost it, or are we?]
[@Admin! Someone’s trying to pull a supernatural scam in the group!]
[Look, we’re all broke students. Try scamming someone else, okay?]
Tong Yang didn’t feel like wasting time arguing with them, so she initiated a group video call instead.
Xuexi Shi Weile Gaoqian: [Come on, let’s face each other.]
[What the hell? No, bro, I’m scared.]
Xuexi Shi Weile Gaoqian: [If you’re scared, don’t join.]*
[?]
[???]
[Group member Hu Ergou has accepted the video invitation.]
[Group member Caicai has accepted the video invitation.]
[Group member Nai Lao Zi has accepted the video invitation.]
[Group member Gěi Jichuanche Dang Gou has accepted the video invitation.]
[Group member Ermao Wu has accepted the video invitation.]
[Group member Beiwei Qie Tiangou has accepted the video invitation.]
…
Seeing the notification that group members were joining one after another, Tong Yang leaned back against her bed, casually yawning.
“Hey.” Tong Yang waved her hand in greeting.
“What the hell?”
“What the hell??”
“What the hell!!!”
The video call was filled with a chorus of “What the hell.”
“AI generation has gotten this advanced?”
“Damn, she looks exactly like the photo!”
“No way… this is too bizarre.”
“Sis, your face is perfect for cosplay. Are you interested?”
Tong Yang briefly scanned the seven or eight video frames. They all looked about her age, probably all students.
“Do you get paid for cosplay?” Tong Yang asked after a moment’s thought.
The girl with the username Gěi Jichuanche Dang Gou stuck out her tongue. “It burns through money.”
Tong Yang curled her lip. “In that case, no thanks.”
“Wait, are you really Tong Yang?”
“What’s going on? You didn’t die? Was this some kind of publicity stunt? Or did we all collectively misremember?”
“This feels so exciting!”
“Waaah, everyone here is so good-looking. Am I the only fat nerd?”
“Stop changing the subject! What’s the deal with you, Gaoqian Sis?”
…
The video call was lively with chatter. Tong Yang waited until the noise quieted down before speaking slowly, “As you can see, I’m Tong Yang, the one who was supposed to die at midnight on May 28, 2024. I’m currently living in Beijing Time, May 29, 2024, at 1:07 PM.”
She got up and walked to her desk, turning the phone screen toward the mirror. Then she opened the calendar, showing the date: May 29, 2024.
“What the hell???”
“You’re not just messing with the time settings?”
“Sis, you really need a new screen protector.”
“Whoa, this is giving me chills. If this is real, it’s terrifying!”
“Is the time really two years in the past?”
“Guys, we’ve got a chance to get rich! I’m gonna go search for the next winning lottery numbers…”
…
Tong Yang lay back down on her bed, responding to their comments one by one: “I have no reason to lie about the time.”
“I’d love to replace my screen, but I’m broke.”
“It is pretty terrifying. It took me some time to come to terms with it.”
“There are plenty of chances to get rich, but first, we should probably figure out what’s going on.”
…
“I’m still having a hard time believing this…”
“How can something this strange be possible?”
Tong Yang explained, “About half a month ago, I scanned an ad QR code, and it led me to this group chat. The creation date was in May 2026. Out of curiosity, I applied to join, and I even asked if there was a bug with the time. You all said there wasn’t.”
“A few days ago, you guys were talking about Ji JiaEn’s death, which didn’t match up with my current time. She’s still really popular here. I can even send you a screenshot of her latest Weibo post.”
Tong Yang took a screenshot of Ji JiaEn’s Weibo and sent it to the group.
[Is this for a drama? That’s her first role after debuting, definitely from two years ago.]
[Such a shame about her. They still haven’t caught the killer.]
Tong Yang replied, “I doubt they’ll ever find the killer.”
[What do you mean?]
[By the way, weren’t you killed during a home invasion on May 28, 2024?]
Tong Yang replied, “Yes, according to the news links in the group, I was supposed to die yesterday. But the killer didn’t succeed.”
To be precise, the killer had killed her twice, but for some unknown reason, she had been brought back both times to the moment before her death. It wasn’t until the third time that she barely escaped from the killer.
“Since the killer failed to kill me, there was no news about me being murdered in a home invasion. That’s probably why you can’t find any information about it, and why the people around you don’t remember it.”
[That makes sense!]
[If you’re not lying, that would explain why my parents don’t remember.]
[This is so scary. What is this? Time travel?]
[Were those injuries caused by the home invader?]
[Wait… You’re still alive, so what happened to the home invader?]
Tong Yang smiled meaningfully. “Take a guess.”
[???]
[Sis, don’t smile like that, you’re scaring me!]
[Did you call the police? Who was it? Was it the same person who killed the bakery owner?]
[This is so creepy!]
[I’m starting to believe you…]
Tong Yang said, “I killed her.”
[What the hell???]
[Huh???]
[Do you even hear yourself, sis? Be careful, or I’m calling the cops!]
[Damn! You’re that hardcore? I can’t even walk past a dead fish without cringing!]
…
Tong Yang let out a cold laugh. “I’m not letting anything stand in the way of my college entrance exam.”
Everyone else: […]
[I’m going to search for news about Tong Yang going to jail.]
[No need. Even though I killed her, it was self-defense. But…] Tong Yang hesitated. She had always had a stronger mental capacity than most people. For her, nothing was scarier than failing her exams or being broke. But she wasn’t sure if others could handle the bizarre situation she was in.
[But what?]
[Say it!]
[I hate when people leave things unsaid!]
[Come on, hurry up! What is it?]
[You said they couldn’t catch the killer. Does that mean you know something?]
[Stop stalling, just tell us!]
…
Tong Yang frowned and said, “Did any of the news you saw about me mention my parents?”
[Yeah, they were in a car accident, right? You and your brother were the only ones left.]
[I heard things were tough for you. You lived in the housing provided by the old water plant, and even after the demolition policy came out, you didn’t move. Apparently, the government was really frustrated.]
[That’s why the reports called you a ‘prodigy from a poor family.’]
…
Tong Yang nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”
“My parents died in a car accident caused by drunk driving. They were found fully at fault, and we got some compensation money.”
Both of Tong Yang’s parents had been alcoholics. After drinking, they would drive a car they had borrowed from who knows where and speed down the road. That night, Tong Le had a high fever that wouldn’t break, so Tong Yang had been carrying him to the hospital when she heard a loud “bang.” The car her parents were in had collided head-on with a large truck. The car was wedged under the truck’s chassis, and through the shattered window, she saw their twisted, unrecognizable bodies.
At that moment, Tong Yang wasn’t sure if she felt more fear or sadness, or if it was shock, confusion, and perhaps a tiny, almost imperceptible sense of relief.
[Wow.]
[They really were awful…]
[My condolences. No matter what, they were still your parents.]
[Sigh.]
Tong Yang replied, “Yeah, they deserved it. It’s fine.”
“What I want to say is, the home invader looked exactly like my mom.”
[???]
[Your mom’s twin???]
[No way. This is getting weirder.]
[Could it be that your mom didn’t really die?]
“No, my mom is dead.” Tong Yang’s expression grew serious. “But that’s not the point. The point is, her body disappeared.”
[Wait, what? Now it’s turning into a ghost story?]
[It’s midday, and I’m starting to get spooked.]
[Damn! She disappeared? Isn’t that what happened with the bakery owner and Ji JiaEn’s killer? They vanished after committing the murders!]
[Tong Yang’s killer disappeared after her death too.]
[Is there some kind of connection? Or… some mysterious force at play?]
[Don’t spread rumors or believe in them.]
Tong Yang said, “I can’t be sure of the reason yet, but I have an idea and a way to make some money.”
[Let’s hear it!]
[Making money? I’m more interested in the lottery numbers.]
“I want to find out if there are any other similar incidents in Yaocheng in the future. Maybe we can use the time difference between now and the future to change things that are about to happen. Of course, there has to be some kind of reward. We’ll split it 50-50—I’ll take half, and you all can split the other half among yourselves. Also, we can investigate any common threads between the incidents.”
[Damn! Sis, you’re a genius!]
[As expected, all you think about is making money.]
[But why do you get half, while the rest of us have to split the other half?]
Tong Yang replied, “Because you only need to provide information. I’ll be the one doing everything. Any objections?”
[Well, when you put it that way… no objections!]
[Nope, no objections!]
[If we can change Ji JiaEn’s fate… how much do you think she’d be willing to pay us?]
Tong Yang said, “But all of this has to wait until after I finish my college entrance exam.”
[Um…]
[Sorry, I doubted you earlier.]
[I just looked up the strange cases in Yaocheng in 2024. I don’t remember seeing them before…]
Tong Yang was puzzled. “What?”
[On June 7, 2024, there was a horrific attack at Yaocheng’s Third High School in the old district, resulting in the deaths of thirty-two students taking the college entrance exam. Look at the photo of the victims in the second row, fourth from the left. Doesn’t that look like you? I’m sending it to the group.]
Tong Yang: “?”
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