The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

Suddenly, someone pressed against me from behind. I could clearly feel their body beneath their thin clothing; they were hugging me. There were only two people in the house, so the person hugging me could only be Ye Yuqing. I couldn't turn around; even the slightest movement would make me feel the girl's body behind me.

"what are you doing?"

"Can I stay here today...?"

Under these circumstances, and with these words, I understood the meaning behind Ye Yuqing's words very well, and I became slightly excited, to the point that I wanted to scold myself a few times.

Do you know what you mean by saying that?

"I know, I'm... ready..."

Her words made my mouth go dry, and I could feel her body warming up. I didn't know where to look; my gaze swept across the room, and what flashed before my eyes were the corpses of Ye Yuqing and Chen Heng. Luckily, I calmed down.

"...Can you tell me why?"

I placed my hand on top of her hands that were wrapped around me.

Chapter Forty-Three: The Reason for the Sadness

I pulled Ye Yuqing's hand away and turned to look at her. I knew I lacked the ability and habit of interpreting other people's expressions, but I still looked at her, into her eyes, trying to put some pressure on her. She didn't meet my gaze, but instead withdrew her hand and clasped it together. She was probably hesitating, and I hoped to glean some new information from her words, so I didn't rush her. Only when she was about to speak did I say a sentence.

“You don’t need to lie to me. I know what you’re thinking, and I know what you’re capable of. I believe that if I get in your way, you would even kill me. That’s the thought that’s what I’ve come to your house with, to talk to you.”

I tried to soften my tone, to make it more honest, at least to make my voice sound gentler and less aggressive. I didn't know if this would work, but I couldn't think of any other way. Even this only method was something I'd learned sometime, through some unknown means—probably from television, online novels, or something else. However, that alone probably wouldn't be enough. I'd already witnessed Ye Yuqing's resilience. As I said, if anyone got in her way, she wouldn't hesitate to ruthlessly ridicule them, even if she herself felt disgusted by such behavior.

"Don't let me down." These were my last words to her. I saw ample potential for communication with Ye Yuqing, but I wasn't confident I could bring that potential to fruition. Based on the information I had, Ye Yuqing's mental state was likely unstable, and I lacked sufficient clues and evidence to pinpoint the cause. Fortunately, my words seemed to have some effect. She looked at me, her face still showing melancholy, but ultimately nodded.

"Will you stay if I tell the truth?" She still hadn't given up on the idea of ​​me staying. To appease her, and also because of my own undeniable desire, I nodded.

I saw her seem to breathe a sigh of relief, pause for a moment, and then continue, "What do you think I am like now?"

I was caught off guard by this sudden question and froze. My brain instinctively began to organize my thoughts to answer her question, but she seemed determined not to give me a chance to speak from the start.

"Bad grades, bad personality, bad communication skills, a girl who's good for nothing except having money... These are the comments my former classmates gave me. Although they were careful not to say these things to my face, I overheard them. But it's okay, I know I'm not very likable. Even though it's because others did bad things that I became like this, I don't resent them. I know that others don't want to be near me just because there's a misunderstanding between us. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, everything will be fine, and what they did won't affect me, right? That's what I thought back then... But when I tried to clear up the misunderstanding, no one wanted to come near me or listen to me. When I tried to talk to them, they just ignored me, treating me like I didn't exist. They clearly talked about me behind my back, so why won't they talk to me? Even if they didn't say anything nice, even if they threatened me, blackmailed me, or insulted me, all I wanted was for someone to talk to me... Why won't they talk to me?"

Ye Yuqing lowered her head, and I saw tears once again streaming down her face and falling onto the floor tiles.

“I called my mom and dad, but they were both busy and couldn’t come to see me. They told me everything would be alright and then sent me money so I could buy some clothes, food, or whatever I wanted. But all I wanted was to talk to someone… I just wanted to talk to someone. They don’t like me, not the people at school, not even my mom and dad. They don’t like me, they don’t want to talk to me. Nobody needs me… not even you.”

She looked up at me, tears streaming down her face. "He said it, he said I'd meet someone who liked me tonight, but you don't like me either. He lied to me... It's been so long since anyone talked to me. I was late for school this morning, and even though the teacher scolded me, she didn't even say my name. She doesn't remember me. But I'm so happy today because I couldn't find my phone this morning and I was so anxious, so I mustered up the courage to ask you a question. I was prepared to be ignored, but you answered me. It's been so long since I've spoken to anyone. Even though you quickly stopped talking to me again, I'm still so happy. I felt like things would definitely get better today; someone was finally willing to say a word to me. Do you know how happy I am? I feel like even dying like this isn't so bad."

"But no, because I have a very important date tonight. I had no idea who would be coming, and I was curious and anxious. When I got up there, I didn't see anyone. I looked around, but there was no one. I thought maybe they forgot or were late. I waited a while, but still no one came. I started to wonder if they disliked me and didn't want to come out. I didn't know what to do. I felt like they were lying to me, that there was no one in the world who would like me, no one at all. Then, I saw you climb up... climb up from the spot I had specially prepared for myself. You were the one who said a word to me this morning. I was so happy."

Her hand was placed over her heart, and her eyes were filled with a dazed look as she looked at me.

"It turns out the person who likes me has always been right beside me. I'm such an idiot, I never even noticed... But, I really want to make you angry."

Her expression turned sad once again.

"I'm so stupid, I don't know what I did to make you angry, and I'm scared. I wanted to apologize, but you refused. Although you kept asking me questions, I could tell that you didn't really like me. But, that's okay, it's enough that someone is willing to talk to me. Thank you for treating me to ice cream, and I'm sorry I didn't eat it... I didn't want to eat it, I haven't received a gift from anyone in a long time."

Chapter Forty-Four: Words of Comfort

Ye Yuqing tugged at the hem of her clothes with both hands.

"I know this might make you angry, but I still don't want to eat it. I want to keep it safe. I'm really stupid, and not very bright. I've answered all your questions honestly, and I haven't lied to you at all, but you'll soon find out everything I know... In that case, is there any point in talking to me? I can give you money, all the money my parents gave me, but you won't take it. I know I'm not very pretty, but I've tried my best to dress up. I have nothing else besides this, and I'm of no use anymore. If even this body can't make you like me, I really don't know what to do... So, can you stay tonight? Please, please, I promise I'll try my best."

I watched her tears continue to fall, and my mood didn't improve much. Ye Yuqing had succeeded; her words had successfully made me realize just how much of the filth in my imagination was so disgusting that even I felt repulsed by it. Suddenly, I had so much I wanted to tell her. I carefully chose my words and looked into her pleading eyes.

"First of all, I need to tell you that I won't be staying tonight." I no longer harbored any unrealistic fantasies and decisively rejected Ye Yuqing's invitation. I watched her eyes change from pleading to despair, and I didn't want to delay any longer, nor did I want her to suffer any more of this pain: "There's no need to be so sad, no need to be so humble, just let me finish."

"You are a living, breathing person, and you live a very hard-working and dignified life. Regardless of what others say about you, I want to tell you my own opinion. You are an excellent girl."

She stared at me blankly, and all I had to do was complete this scene that resembled a speech or a staged performance.

“You are better than anyone I’ve ever met before, far beyond my imagination. I need to clarify a few points. First, I’m not angry with you. You haven’t done anything to upset me, so you can rest assured.” Ye Yuqing has many psychological issues, but I’ve also noticed some signs of the most serious ones. The specific approach needs to be tailored to the specific situation. So, first, I need to alleviate Ye Yuqing’s anxiety so that she might listen to what I’m about to say: “On the contrary, I’m the one who should apologize for this. I’m sorry to have made you think so much because of my mistake.”

She stared at me with wide eyes, her expression shifting from despair to surprise and bewilderment: "No, you don't need to apologize to someone like me..."

"Let me finish what I have to say," I stopped her. Instead of explaining things to her word by word, I decided to get everything straight at once: "Secondly, the reason I didn't take your money is because it belongs to you. I have no right to take it, and neither does anyone else. Regarding what happened two years ago, you did nothing wrong; you handled it very well. That popsicle was a reward for you. Do whatever you want with it; I won't interfere or get angry. You can rest assured."

If we get to the root of the problem, the reason Ye Yuqing committed suicide should be the incident that happened two years ago. That incident had a tremendous impact on Ye Yuqing, so much so that she almost lost everything she valued. This caused her to question her own actions, and this question remained unanswered for a long time, causing her to wander in darkness and ultimately becoming the trigger for her suicide. Therefore, dispelling her long-standing confusion should greatly alleviate her psychological burden. She did nothing wrong; the problem lay with other things beyond her control, which naturally needed to be addressed. However, the root cause of the problem was no longer within herself, meaning she had essentially lost the source of her overthinking.

"Thirdly, you are a very excellent and beautiful girl. You should have more confidence in yourself." Although her words repeatedly asserted that she was useless, the qualities she displayed were enough to impress anyone. She habitually placed herself in a low position, belittling herself and lacking confidence, likely stemming from her previous unhappiness. But since the mistakes weren't hers, this misconception is unfounded. Restoring Ye Yuqing's confidence is essential if she wants to return to a normal life.

And finally, and most importantly, what exactly is Ye Yuqing's value? I looked at Ye Yuqing, and she looked at me too, very quietly, waiting for me to speak.

Generally speaking, everyone has value, including the value they create and the value they possess. This is also a commonly used standard for measuring social status. Value is an objective existence, yet it needs to be subjectively discovered. Ye Yuqing naturally possesses extraordinary value, but her value is hidden like a stone sunk in the ocean. Ye Yuqing herself has not seen her own value. Her qualities, her charm, her abilities—these are all part of her value, but she has only seen the most superficial part of herself.

"Fourthly, you said you have no value other than your body, right?" Just as she hadn't expected me to speak, I hadn't expected her to say anything either: "But in my opinion, you have something to offer from head to toe. Your value isn't something so superficial. Face yourself properly, do you hear me?"

She sniffled, didn't speak, just nodded. I realized that continuing wouldn't yield any additional results, and probably wouldn't have any impact on her. It was better to let her think it over herself. She was immersed in her own world, and I could probably quietly leave, like the cool guys in movies or novels I knew. But just as I walked past Ye Yuqing, she grabbed my hand again. I looked at her; she still didn't speak, just cried. I thought for a moment about what to say, and quickly figured it out.

"I hope to see you at school tomorrow."

"……Um."

I heard a sound as soft as the chirping of insects.

Chapter Forty-Five: Deliberate Tracking

After leaving Ye Yuqing's house, I went downstairs. She offered to walk me down, but I declined, saying it was too late. When I reached her building, I was surprised to find myself in a relatively relaxed and cheerful mood. I think this might be because I was happy to have obtained a large amount of information at once. In any case, I had gained far more information than I had expected today. As for its accuracy, I could investigate that later. I hadn't completely lost my way in the investigation.

If we could find someone who was in Ye Yuqing's class at the time, we could confirm what happened. Finding that person who was in her class and knows whether it actually happened would be quite difficult. Investigating the person who told Ye Yuqing about the "date" on the pedestrian bridge is too complicated; we don't even know if Ye Yuqing is telling the truth. I think she is, that's my inclination. Even if it's a lie, I'd still need to gather some information to find clues, but that's too difficult for me, so I'll leave it for now. Also, regarding her parents, whether it's the tone of her voice when she mentions them or the fact that she cleaned the whole house except her parents' bedroom, I think her parents don't hold a very high place in her heart anymore. This isn't out of rebellion or disobedience, but rather out of some kind of strong resentment, which is something to be aware of.

There's still something else, like the short sword that Ye Yuqing had painstakingly sharpened from its unsharpened state to a lethal weapon. It's still in my bag; I won't let her keep such a threatening weapon. She didn't show any displeasure with my actions, but rather generously said, "Take it if you want." This is perfect for me. I can try to find some clues from the short sword. If I can find a place that sold it and get the specific time of the transaction, I can further confirm the truth of what Ye Yuqing said.

The investigation has finally yielded some satisfactory results, and I certainly have reason to be happy. I let out a soft sigh, feeling drowsy. More than twenty-four hours without sleep had left me in very poor mental condition. I checked my phone; it was already 11:20 PM, much later than my usual time to get home. I had to get back as soon as possible. I shuffled my feet towards the hospital—it would be faster to walk home that way.

The town was very quiet and dark late at night. Only the streetlights provided light and a sense of security in the silence. In my mind, hospitals were always inextricably linked to illness and death, and this impression, combined with the stillness of the night, made me feel inexplicably afraid. Only a few lights shone from the windows of the hospital buildings; most of the place was pitch black. It was already past most people's bedtime, and I could hardly see anyone else. I wanted to leave as soon as possible, so I quickened my pace.

I was walking under the streetlights, the quiet making my footsteps clearly audible. I headed home, listening to my own footsteps. But then I noticed something strange. I didn't stop, but instead peeked behind me. I didn't see anything amiss. I thought it was just a hallucination caused by all the things that had happened that day, so I turned back and continued walking. But soon, what I thought was a hallucination started happening again.

It was the sound of someone walking. It wasn't me making the sound, because I had deliberately lowered my footsteps just to confirm if someone was really following me. If the person was unrelated to me, just a random night owl, they wouldn't deliberately follow me; they would simply walk out openly. I hoped the silence was just a coincidence, but as I continued walking briskly towards home, the sound appeared again. Perhaps because so much had happened, I became wary of the sound. But I couldn't see where it was, so I could only walk on, quietly checking behind me.

I still couldn't see him, but the footsteps never stopped, and they seemed to be getting closer and closer. Fear spread through my mind.

Who was this person? I had no idea. I also couldn't recall ever doing anything that would make anyone dislike me, and I tried my best to avoid anything that might involve me with others. I really couldn't imagine who would be following me at this time, and this doubt was gradually turning into a greater sense of fear. I was still a little scared. But then I suddenly remembered that I was on my way home... I couldn't take him home. I looked at the fork in the road ahead, gritted my teeth, and walked towards the road that wasn't leading home.

Although I was scared, my mind wasn't so muddled that I couldn't work. There's a police station on this road, but I don't know if the police have all gone home yet. Besides, I'm not completely defenseless. I still have the short sword I got from Ye Yuqing in my bag. Although it's a little troublesome to get it out, once I knew I could fight back, my panic began to subside.

Walking towards the police station, I listened to the footsteps following me, cautiously on guard. But when I was about forty or fifty meters away from the police station, the footsteps suddenly stopped. I mustered my courage and looked back, but the street was still deserted, and I hadn't seen a trace of the source of the sound. I took Ye Yuqing's short sword from my bag and began to carefully walk back until I saw someone.

He was dressed casually, holding one of those common dark glass broken bottles, and was sitting under the bus stop sign, leaning against an iron pillar, snoring in a rather unseemly posture.

I began to laugh at my own caution.

Chapter Forty-Six: A Short Rest

I looked at the man, considering whether to call the police or something, but I didn't want to cause any more trouble. He got drunk and fell asleep here; it was his own fault. If he had taken better care of himself, this wouldn't have happened. Besides, a drunkard like him probably wouldn't have any money on him, so even if he were robbed, it wouldn't be a big loss. And if he did, with surveillance cameras everywhere these days, finding the culprit wouldn't be difficult. I didn't need to worry about him.

I put the short sword in my bag, walked past him, and headed towards the intersection I needed to cross to get home. This whole farce had wasted a lot of my time again. I needed to get home as soon as possible. Even though I'd been startled like this, my mental state hadn't improved. In fact, after the crisis subsided, I felt even more exhausted. If I didn't get back soon, I might end up like that drunkard, collapsing and falling asleep somewhere here. I didn't want that to happen. Dragging my weary body, I walked towards home. It was already late at night, and in the deep darkness, I could only occasionally see one or two people before they disappeared back into the darkness.

Although it was late, it wasn't strange that there were still a few people out and about at this hour, but I didn't have a very good impression of them.

I walked down the street to my building and saw that my apartment was still lit, the light coming from the living room; the rest of the place was completely dark. I went upstairs, unlocked the door, and went inside. I saw my sister sitting on the sofa in the living room, playing on her phone. She looked up at me when she saw me come in, then said, "You're back?" and nothing more. I nodded and looked into the living room; I didn't see my parents. Perhaps sensing my confusion, my sister explained, "It's late, so I told them to go to bed. You're back so late today, do you have a girlfriend?"

My sister is probably the only one who still jokes with me. I shook my head, denying her question.

"What? I was expecting something good, but nothing happened. How boring. Why are you so late today? Even if it's overtime, this is still a bit too late."

"Something came up and I was a little delayed." I didn't have a good excuse to cover up my actions, so I simply didn't explain and let her imagine it herself; maybe she would come up with a reasonable explanation. I went to my room, turned on the light, put my schoolbag on my desk, picked up my clothes, and prepared to take a shower. So much had happened today, and I was quite dirty. A shower and a change of clothes would make me feel better. As for whether time would go back to yesterday, I didn't want to think about that for now. I was a little tired and just wanted to rest.

Have you taken a shower?

"No, I was just playing on my phone. You can wash up first if you want, I can wash up later when I'm going to bed."

My sister didn't even look up, her attention fixed on her phone, I wondered what she was looking at. I ignored her, grabbed my clothes, and headed to the bathroom, taking a shower. Sleepiness was creeping in; I felt like I could fall asleep at any moment, the warm water stimulating my senses. I started to feel that even staying awake was a punishment. I quickly washed up, dried myself, and changed into my pajamas. Although I really wanted to sleep, I couldn't. There was still one thing I hadn't confirmed today—whether something strange would happen at midnight. If the time reset phenomenon ended, I would be very happy, and my life would return to normal. But even if it did reset, I wouldn't feel sad or troubled, because the matter of Ye Yuqing also concerned me greatly. If I wanted to understand what was related to her, this phenomenon would give me more perspectives on Ye Yuqing.

After learning that Ye Yuqing's death could have been prevented, I began to be less bothered by the possibility of time resetting. Although I had previously vehemently denied the possibility of going back in time, when it actually happened, the privilege it granted still made me unconsciously rely on it. It was a privilege that could lead to regret; I understood what it could bring me and what it would cause me to lose. I decided to use it and try my best to combat its negative effects.

I finished showering, dried my hair, and came out of the bathroom. In the living room, my younger sister was still playing on her phone. To be honest, I envy her boundless energy. Although she has fewer evening classes than me, her morning classes are at the same time, making her six days of classes a week the same as mine. But her energy seems inexhaustible; even if it's 1 or 2 AM, she can still get up and go to class the next morning. Although her middle school is close to home, and she goes home for lunch and dinner, she says she doesn't have the habit of taking a nap. She seems to possess almost limitless energy out of thin air. I used to not envy her because I thought there was nothing wrong with having a regular lifestyle like mine. But now that I suddenly have so much more to do, I've started to envy her boundless energy.

"Finished washing?" She saw me appear in the living room, and I nodded.

"I've opened the window, you can take a shower in a little while."

"Oh. So are you going to sleep now?"

I glanced at the clock hanging in the living room; it showed around 11:50, still quite a while before midnight.

"I just took a shower, let's rest for a while before going to sleep." I made up a casual excuse.

"Is there any conflict between taking a shower and going to sleep?" she asked, puzzled. I didn't know either, so I didn't answer her.

I sat down next to my sister. Unlike her, who was leaning against the sofa, I tried to sit up straight to avoid accidentally falling asleep. To try and stay awake, I glanced at her phone screen. She seemed to be watching a video, but the screen was too dark for me to see anything. I gave up and continued waiting for midnight to arrive.

These few minutes felt so long...

Chapter 47 A Night Talk at Dawn

Even though it was only a few minutes, it felt incredibly long. I sat on the sofa, waiting for midnight to arrive. Perhaps because I was sitting next to her, my sister felt uncomfortable, so she put down her phone and looked at me.

"Aren't you going to sleep yet? You stayed up very late last night too."

I looked up at her, but I didn't see any worry on her face. The question was probably just something she suddenly thought of and asked. I hadn't thought of an answer beforehand either, so I couldn't give her one and could only give a perfunctory reply without offering a proper answer. Her face showed a less than happy expression.

"I was just asking casually. If you don't want to tell me, then forget it."

My younger sister is someone I've spent a long time with. Compared to others, I can understand her thoughts and read her expressions more easily. This kind of relationship will likely continue for a long time to come, and I don't want anything to cause a rift or any other problems in our relationship. I've always cherished my relationships with family.

I started trying to come up with a reason, but I'm really not suited for this kind of thing. I have neither the habit nor the experience. I know that if she sees through my fabricated excuse, she probably won't say anything, but my current situation will likely get much worse, which is something I have to avoid. Since making up an excuse is no longer an option, the only viable method left is before me.

I hesitated for a moment, thinking about how to explain what I had done in a subtle and tactful way. Telling my sister what I had done didn't mean I would reveal everything. From any perspective, what I had done was definitely not a good thing. Having a good relationship is one thing, but having a good relationship to the point of protecting a family member who has committed a crime is another. Moreover, although I unilaterally believe that my sister and I have a close relationship, I can't be sure if she feels the same way. Besides, choosing to protect someone isn't a good thing for one's own family member either.

I did this with the determination to get it done, and I was given the privilege of being able to back out and start over. Although I didn't think my actions were right, that's precisely why I wanted to end it as soon as possible. I absolutely didn't want to have to start over if I didn't have to; it wouldn't do me any good. I didn't need to tell anyone, let my sister not worry or be afraid because of my actions. I would bear all the consequences myself. No one would know what really happened that night except me. Even Ye Yuqing, the other party involved, would forget about it because of the time reversal. In the end, this incident wouldn't have any serious consequences.

I simplified the events, extracting the most important points: "I just went to meet someone briefly, which is why I came back a little late."