Oh no! I'm surrounded by female ghosts!

Wait for the black fog to dissipate.

The city of Dajiang in 2020 came into Su Ming's view.

Six years ago, this megacity was still a bustling metropolis.

Looking up, one sees towering buildings, a constant flow of traffic, and a cacophony of voices, creating a lively and bustling scene.

Compared to 2026, it's just a matter of having fewer subway lines and fewer elevated highways.

But this city.

It was originally just a small, underdeveloped third-tier city.

The city is called Pingjiang City.

There, a population of several million lives at a slow pace, unlike this steel jungle before us, where countless people rush about, their expressions tense, making it hard to tell whether they are living life earnestly or desperately trying to survive.

Su Ming had been there in 2003, 2012, and 2019.

The people on these doomsday lines have changed a lot.

Their smiles became fewer and fewer, their brows furrowed more and more tightly. Everyone was being pushed forward by the torrent of the times, running desperately forward, not daring to stop for even a moment.

Students' schoolbags are getting bigger and heavier.

The bags under the eyes of working people are getting deeper and deeper, and their hair is getting thinner and thinner.

Everyone was walking hurriedly, anxious and uneasy, not like they were living a good life, but more like they were fleeing for their lives.

It felt as if if you were even a step too slow, you would be swallowed up by the demon behind you.

This city before me is both strange and familiar.

Su Ming was momentarily at a loss for what to do and stood there blankly.

Normally, whenever he stepped into the apocalypse, he at least had a root.

And this root is Pingjiang City.

There's also Jiangkou Village where my grandparents live.

But now, everything has changed.

It cannot be said that Jiangkou Village has disappeared.

It can only be said that it has undergone earth-shattering changes, with villages being converted into districts and high-rise buildings rising up, leaving no trace of Su Ming's memory.

He used to love climbing and playing on the soapberry tree at the entrance of the village, and leaning against it to enjoy the shade.

Now it is surrounded by cold railings, and a warning sign stands quietly to the side, clearly printed: Ancient tree, do not climb over.

There used to be a small stream behind the village, where Su Ming loved to catch fish and shrimp when he was a child.

But now, it has long been replaced by smooth and wide highways.

Even my grandparents' graves have been moved into the cemetery; it's neat and orderly, but it feels very cold.

As times progress and society develops, Su Ming understands that this is an irreversible inevitability.

However, as things develop, some things disappear forever and can never be found again.

The wind was gentle and the sun was warm in 2020.

But in his eyes, the whole world was empty.

Wen Qi disappeared.

Shen Wanyu disappeared.

Tangtang has also disappeared.

A long, piercing loneliness quietly rose from the deepest part of my heart.

But Su Ming quickly suppressed the thought and hurriedly took out the star that Wen Qi had given him.

Unfold the stars; there's still only one sentence on them: "Don't worry about this apocalypse. Take a break, have fun, and remember to ask Yu Mengnian about the dream."

It's Wen Qi's handwriting.

A few words, yet they soothed all his confusion and loneliness.

Su Ming put the note back into his backpack.

Suddenly all the discomfort disappeared.

He suspected that Wen Qi had guessed it before he even entered 2020.

Stretching his back and exhaling a breath of stale air, Su Ming stepped into the crowd and into the bustling world.

In this bustling metropolis, there are no longer any familiar faces.

He was like a tourist in this city, sitting quietly on the bus, watching the street scene rushing past the window.

Sunlight streamed through the car window, falling on the boy's tall shoulders, highlighting his handsome features, outstanding figure, clean appearance, and dazzling presence.

Many young girls along the way secretly glanced at her, their eyes filled with amazement. Some of the bolder ones even took the initiative to go up and talk to her.

Su Ming refused them all.

He once longed for an extraordinary, crazy, even abnormal life.

Only now has he realized how luxurious and rare an ordinary, normal life is.

Holding a milk tea, wearing sunglasses, with one hand in his pocket.

A cool young man arrived at the bustling pedestrian street.

He casually looked around, his leisurely gait and outstanding demeanor attracting frequent glances from passersby.

Many people secretly speculated that this might be a popular celebrity in disguise.

Coincidentally, there really was a low-profile celebrity hiding on this street.

Cheng Yao.

This year is her lucky year.

After years of relative obscurity, she suddenly became an overnight sensation with a phenomenal hit drama, skyrocketing her popularity.

If she can seize this opportunity, she has the potential to become a top female star.

Taking advantage of her assistant's inattention, she quietly slipped out, hoping to steal a moment of peace.

Su Ming's gaze casually swept across the street corner, and he immediately recognized Cheng Yao, who was standing out in the crowd.

He really didn't expect that he would run into Cheng Yao while just strolling around.

At this moment, Cheng Yao was queuing to buy milk tea.

They were truly fully armed.

Hats, masks, and sunglasses covered her completely, but her superior figure and outstanding temperament were still hard to hide.

Passersby often stare at her, and even if they don't recognize her, they are subconsciously drawn to her.

Su Ming hesitated for a moment, then decided not to go, treating it as a chance encounter.

Besides, Cheng Yao doesn't recognize herself now.

But suddenly, his brows furrowed.

He sensed a malice that made him very uncomfortable.

Because the malicious target was Cheng Yao.

If Su Ming remembers correctly.

In 2020, Cheng Yao was maliciously splashed with sulfuric acid, resulting in extensive and deep burns to her face, which disfigured her.

His promising and bright future has come to a complete end.

Could today be the turning point in Cheng Yao's fate?

"What a coincidence?"

Sure enough, a strange girl with a backpack and a mask was walking briskly toward Cheng Yao from the crowd, her head down.

At that moment, Cheng Yao was looking down, choosing a milk tea flavor, completely unsuspecting.

Just as the masked girl put her hand into her bag, Su Ming flashed forward and grabbed her wrist.

"What are you doing?" he shouted.

The girl wearing a mask was clearly startled; she pulled down her hat brim and prepared to run.

But Su Ming held her hand tightly.

Seeing that she couldn't break free, panic and ruthlessness flashed in her eyes as she shouted, "No..."

Before she could even shout, she was suddenly kicked, and Su Ming released her.

It was Cheng Yao who kicked the person.

The moment she saw Su Ming grab the girl, she realized what was happening.

I felt an overwhelming sense of lingering fear.

If it weren't for this young man in front of him, he would most likely be in serious trouble.

This masked girl was clearly after me.

After the girl was thrown backward, she didn't even dare to look back; she got up and ran away.

Cheng Yao wanted to chase after him, but Su Ming stopped her.

He pointed to the bag.

It was left behind by that girl.

Upon opening the bag, there was indeed a sealed glass bottle inside.

As soon as she unscrewed the bottle cap, a pungent, corrosive odor wafted out, and Cheng Yao instantly knew what it was.

sulfuric acid.

As the crowd of onlookers grew larger and larger.

Cheng Yao's heart tightened. She quickly tightened the bottle cap, packed her backpack, pulled her hat brim down, reached out and grabbed Su Ming's wrist, leading him to quickly squeeze out of the crowd and away from the noisy onlookers.

The two found a quiet and elegant teahouse, away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

After shedding all pretense, Cheng Yao's eyes still held lingering fear, and her gaze towards Su Ming was filled with sincere gratitude.

"Thank you so much for today."

"If you hadn't intervened in time, I might have been in serious trouble today."

I am truly grateful.

It was this simple act of kindness from the handsome young man in front of her that saved her from a disaster that could have changed her life.

Seeing her still-shaken expression, Su Ming asked curiously, "Aren't you going to call the police?"

Cheng Yao gently shook her head: "Even if you call the police, this kind of thing will eventually be forgotten."

"That girl was clearly being manipulated."

"Recently, one of my dramas suddenly became a huge hit, taking away too much of the resources and popularity from other people. It's no wonder that some people are jealous."

Speaking of the wildly popular drama, she even moved closer, trying to make Su Ming see her clearly.

It must be said that her stunning beauty is radiant and captivating; no wonder she became a star.

Su Ming's reaction to this was not significant.

Cheng Yao estimated that since the new drama had just started airing and her popularity was just beginning to rise, it was normal for this young man not to recognize her.

So she took the initiative to extend her hand, with a bright and generous smile, and introduced herself: "Hello, my name is Cheng Yao, and I am an actress."

After saying that, she winked mischievously.

She had a very good impression of the boy in front of her.

"Hello." Su Ming extended his hand as well. "My name is Su Ming."

He never expected that the first person he would encounter in 2020 would be Cheng Yao, not Yu Mengnian.

So, where exactly is Yu Mengnian now?

She would immediately notice my presence.

Were you delayed on the way?

Seeing Su Ming's distracted expression, Cheng Yao waved her hand in front of him somewhat unwillingly: "You really don't remember me at all?"

"I've acted in quite a few TV dramas."

"Even if you haven't seen it, you must have seen clips of me in short videos."

"And my new drama that's recently become a huge hit is being discussed all over the internet."

Su Ming looked at Cheng Yao as if he wanted to bring her face right up to his.

He immediately slapped his forehead: "Ah, it's you."

"I thought you just looked alike."

"You are Cheng Yao, the big star Cheng Yao."

Cheng Yao was satisfied and quickly waved her hand modestly: "I wouldn't call myself a big star, I'm just lucky to have a little bit of fame."

As she spoke, she looked Su Ming up and down, her eyes full of admiration.

"Little brother, you look quite young, you must still be in school, right?"

"With such good looks, have you considered entering the entertainment industry?"

"When I establish my own entertainment company, I will definitely sign you first."

Looking at Cheng Yao in front of him, Su Ming couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.

She is very different from Wen Qi and Shen Wanyu.

Because she has always had an extremely clear and well-defined life plan and goals.

And step by step, they firmly move towards their future life, realizing their dreams little by little.

At that age, Wen Qi might be buried in his desk, engrossed in studying some obscure mathematical problem.

Following her family's arrangements, Shen Wanyu steadily entered the established social circle, shouldering the responsibility of maintaining the family's honor.

Tangtang might be struggling with what to eat tonight and what clothes to wear tomorrow.

Xu Qinghe is still engaged in a silent resistance against her parents and has no personal freedom.

Bai Xinglan may still be preparing her graduation thesis, tackling medical challenges.

Jiang Qian is still in school, and perhaps she is quietly reading in a library right now.

Only Cheng Yao, who has been in society for many years and has worked hard for many years, is now striving to get closer to her dream.

She is about to become a household name and will own her own entertainment company, with endless possibilities in the future.

In the blink of an eye, he caught a glimpse of a shooting star streaking across the sky at incredible speed.

It was Yu Mengnian who came looking for them.

Just then, Cheng Yao's phone rang, interrupting their conversation.

After quickly finishing the call, her expression turned slightly serious, and she immediately exchanged contact information with Su Ming.

"Little brother, remember to contact me!"

She made a phone call gesture, put her clothes, hat, and sunglasses back on, and hurriedly left.

Su Ming didn't leave; he was waiting.

Three minutes later, the door opened.

A sword was pressed against his neck, and a chilling voice rang out from behind the blade, devoid of any warmth: "Who are you?"

Hey.

Su Ming sighed inwardly.

Just as he had predicted.

The tone remained unchanged.

The location hasn't changed.

The person hasn't changed.