Looking around the room, an inexplicable feeling suddenly welled up within me. A strange unease crept into my heart. I picked up the piece of paper lying on the desk.
It read:
"Moved up by one day. Meet at Wangbei Road, 4 p.m. tomorrow."
In an instant, I understood—it was left by that taxi driver. After committing it to memory, I tossed the note into the trash. It was getting late, so I decided to rest.
As I lay on the bed and closed my eyes, the familiar rumbling sound returned. A strange anticipation stirred within me for the images that were about to appear.
But this time, it wasn't Chu Qingci's face that surfaced. Instead, it was the man who had inflicted violence upon him countless times.
The perspective was his this time, making him appear even more imposing. He seemed to be in a casino—or rather, a place more sinister than a mere gambling den. The air was thick with smoke and chaos, an environment steeped in debauchery and gloom. Neon lights flickered in some corners, painting a garish picture of vice. Strange men and women lurked about, their twisted expressions betraying indulgence in drugs.
The scene grew clearer. The man was gambling with reckless fervor. At first, he won—his confidence soared. But soon, his greed consumed him, leading to increasingly reckless bets. His streak ended abruptly; every throw of the dice went against him.
Quickly, he lost all his winnings. Desperation drove him to borrow from the casino boss. Yet even with borrowed money, his luck did not turn. In the end, destitute and defeated, he left the casino, a shadow of his former self.
The vision shifted.
Now, I was back in that familiar alley. Chu Qingci was bearing the man's wrath, enduring blow after blow.
This time, I heard the man's words clearly:
"You wretched bastard. I raised you for what? Your whore of a mother tricked me into thinking you were mine when she was pregnant, then used me as her scapegoat! If it weren't for that paternity test when you were ten, I would've lived my whole life in the dark!"
He continued his tirade, laced with venom. Chu Qingci's eyes glinted with sharp, almost overflowing hatred, but he kept his head down, concealing his emotions. His lips pressed tightly together, his face pale from the beating.
Watching him in such a state made my heart ache. I wanted to step in, to stop it all—but I knew I couldn't. All I could do was silently witness the scene.
Suddenly, it struck me: this hasn't happened yet. It was a glimpse into something I could still prevent. I recognized the location—the alley off Yunhai Road.
I knew I needed a plan. My mind turned to his invitation for me to join him at Yunhai Road on the 20th.
Would the beating occur that day? No, it didn't seem likely. But why did he ask me to meet him there?
These thoughts swirled in my mind as I drifted into a restless sleep.
Morning came, bringing with it a rare day of rest. Being in my second year of high school, Sundays were still free from extra classes. I lingered in bed, finally getting up close to noon.
After freshening up, I passed through the guest room and noticed the gift Chu Qingci had given me yesterday still by the door. I picked it up, my thoughts drifting back to the night before: dinner, a walk, the Ferris wheel, and his unexpected confession.
It all felt surreal, but the gift was tangible proof. I opened it, revealing a simple necklace adorned with a touch of lake-blue elegance. I put it on, cherishing it like a treasure.
With no desire to cook, I ordered takeout for lunch. By the time I was done eating, it was almost 2 p.m. Anxiety began to creep in—I was meeting someone at 4 p.m., yet I felt unprepared.
I had come back to this world to investigate everything about Chu Qingci, but strange events had repeatedly derailed me. Now, time ticked away, each second slipping through my fingers.
Outside, the wind rustled the leaves with a persistent, shushing sound. The gloomy, oppressive weather mirrored my mood. Though it was only mid-afternoon, the sky had already begun to darken.
My thoughts were like scattered leaves in the wind, chaotic and aimless. I felt as though an unseen force was dragging me into a pit of despair, leaving me powerless.
Perhaps I could do nothing after all. Perhaps the timing, the place, the people—everything was working against me. A deep sense of defeat took root in my mind.
Exhausted, I slumped onto the sofa and dozed off.
In my dream, I found myself wandering a vast, desolate desert. Endless yellow sand stretched in all directions, filling me with a suffocating sense of hopelessness. I thought I would never escape, that my life would wither here, ending like a faded flower.
My chest felt tight, my breath hitched, and sweat beaded on my brow. Just as I was about to be consumed by the dream, I jolted awake, shaken but relieved. It had only been a dream.
Grabbing my phone, I saw the time: 3:40 p.m. It was time to go. I put on my coat and stepped out into the dim afternoon light.
The journey to Wangbei Road would take twenty minutes—plenty of time.