Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 105 Thank you, Father-in-law, for paying the bill.

The streets of Hisakawa City were bathed in warm sunlight, a stark contrast to the rugged, wasteland-like atmosphere of the future.

Yang Chen walked on the wide and clean sidewalk, the power of the snake talisman already withdrawn.

He looked like an ordinary pedestrian, just dressed in a somewhat futuristic combat suit, though passersby occasionally cast strange glances at him.

But he still greedily savored this long-lost sense of "normality".

There was no strange smell of wasteland in the air, and no Devouring Beasts around.

The only sound was the friction of car tires as they drove by.

There was also the faint urban hustle and bustle in the distance, and the rustling sound of roadside trees swaying in the breeze.

Pedestrians walked leisurely, their faces showing either tranquility or haste, amidst the aromas of coffee shops and the sweet scent of freshly baked bread.

Even the scent of neatly trimmed grass in the roadside green belts.

All things flourish.
Prosperous, peaceful, and filled with an atmosphere of hope.

This is what the old world looked like before the cataclysm, the backdrop in Bai Yuekui's memories, and the "paradise" that everyone in Dragonbone Village can only imagine.

"It feels... a little different?"

Yang Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, looking around.

Some of the high-rise buildings had familiar outlines, but the details and layout seemed to differ from the future Hisakawa he remembered.

“Yes, Yang Chen.” ASH’s voice came through the miniature earpiece, calmly answering his question.

"The current time is 2033 in the old calendar. Hisakawa City is in the high-speed development period of the 'Internet of Everything' project. However, the large-scale investment and deep involvement of the Coastal Alliance have not yet been fully implemented. The more prosperous and technologically advanced urban landscape in your memory will gradually take shape in the future after the Coastal Alliance officially passes the resolution and invests a huge amount of resources. What you see now is the appearance of this city in the 'development period'."

Yang Chen nodded, a feeling of indescribable emotion welling up in his heart.

He looked at the dazzling array of goods in the shop windows along the street, the brightly colored toys in the children's hands, and the couples walking by arm in arm...

All of this will be reduced to ruins in the near future.

A thought emerged with crystal clarity.

It must be changed.

"Yang Chen".

Yang Chen stopped and looked into the window of an exquisitely decorated shop on the street corner: "What's wrong, ASH?"

"How do we get back?" Ash asked the crucial question.

The original plan was to spend time finding a new location to set up the equipment and return.

But Yang Chen didn't seem to be in a hurry, which puzzled ASH.

The past has changed, or rather, a new branch has been opened, and we still need to do our best to change things.

But their timeline is yet to come.

Yang Chen did not answer immediately; his gaze remained fixed on the dazzling array of goods in the shop window.

"You'll find out soon enough," Yang Chen said with a mysterious smile, and then walked into the store.

"I need to go buy some things first."

However, he froze after taking only two steps.

A very real problem has hit us hard.

He was penniless! In 2033, the currency, whether paper money or electronic payment, would be nothing but waste paper and invalid code to him, a "person from the future".

"Uh..." A hint of embarrassment flashed across Yang Chen's face.

"Is it a funding issue?" ASH sensed the emotion and asked knowingly.

"I can handle this, please wait a moment."

"Can you solve this? Can you hack into the network and skip the payment stage?"

ASH did not answer immediately.

Yang Chen stood outside the store, pretending to admire the shop window.

Just a few seconds later, ASH's voice rang out again: "I've already connected to Bai Jingyu's account. He'll pay for the expenses. You can just use facial recognition to pay later."

Yang Chen was somewhat taken aback. He and Bai Jingyu had never met before, and now he was going to spend Bai's money.

But then I thought, since the gift was for Bai Yuekui anyway, I immediately felt relieved. Dragon Bone Village.

As night fell, the lights in Bai Yuekui's residence were soft.

On the restaurant table, several plates of exquisite dishes were laid out.

This was cooked by her; the ingredients were fresh, and it looked and smelled delicious—just the kind of flavor Yang Chen usually liked.

However, Bai Yuekui, sitting at the table, was just unconsciously poking at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, his eyes somewhat vacant.

"Moon Queen, Moon Queen?"

Bai Yuetian waved his hand in front of Bai Yuekui's eyes, bringing Bai Yuekui back to his senses.

She looked at Bai Yuetian with a puzzled expression.

Bai Yuetian said, "Why are you so absent-minded? Chengzi has only been gone for less than a day."

"It's nothing, I just don't have much of an appetite," Bai Yuekui shook his head.

Bai Yuetian sighed helplessly, put down his chopsticks and comforted her, "You'll be back once Chengzi has rebuilt the equipment. There's no point in just waiting here. Let's eat first."

After a while, he stood up, tidied up his dishes, and then looked at Bai Yuekui.

"Are you really not going to eat? I'll wash the dishes for you."

Bai Yuekui gently shook his head: "No need, brother, you should go back first."

As the heat from the food gradually dissipated, the aroma became somewhat bland.

She picked up a piece, put it in her mouth, and chewed mechanically, but couldn't taste anything. The scene of Yang Chen joking around or discussing serious matters at the dinner table in the past was now just cold silence.

She put down her chopsticks and sighed softly, having lost all appetite.

He got up, walked to the living room, and picked up the game controller from the sofa.

The screen lights up, and the familiar startup screen and rousing background music play.

She controlled the character with precise and swift movements, and the NPCs on the screen fell one after another.

But soon, she felt a strong sense of boredom wash over her.

Without that guy playing with you, or even just watching quietly... the game seems to lose all its fun.

"This is boring," she muttered to herself, tossing the controller back onto the sofa. The character on the screen, unattended, was hit by an enemy and let out a mournful cry.

She didn't even look at it and went straight to the bedroom.

The large bed in the bedroom appeared somewhat too spacious under the lights.

Bai Yuekui's gaze fell on the side that belonged to Yang Chen.

She walked over and, instead of lying down in her usual spot, turned to lie down on her side in the place where Yang Chen usually slept.

The pillow seemed to still carry his clean, sun-kissed scent.

She buried her face in the pillow, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

Unconsciously, Bai Yuekui's fingertips stroked the cold sheets beside her as her thoughts drifted far away.

Has he safely returned to the past?

Did he see himself as a child?

When... will I be able to come back?

Longing grows silently like vines in the still night.

Dude, dunk, dunk.