The cycle begins to repeat itself today.

I didn't say anything, closed the door, turned around, and slipped on my slippers to go inside. I was a little tired today and was thinking of taking a shower, so I walked straight past my sister, who was checking the contents of a plastic bag, and headed towards my room. I saw my parents sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching TV with somewhat expressionless faces. Their phones were also lit up, so it seemed they weren't paying full attention to what was on TV.

I decided not to bother them. After thinking for a moment, I went into my room, found my clothes, and took a shower. When I came out of the bathroom and returned to my room, my sister was already lying on my bed, playing on her phone and eating snacks, the kind that crumbly easily. I raised an eyebrow, wanting to remind her to be more careful.

"Don't eat snacks in bed."

"What does it matter? I'll clean it up for you in a bit." She didn't seem to care, and the screen on her phone was flashing. I couldn't see it clearly, but it must have been something interesting, because my sister couldn't help but laugh.

I shook my head, there was nothing I could do about her. So, after putting down my clothes, I went back to the living room, found the soft brush and dustpan I use for deep cleaning beds, and went back to my room to sweep up the snack crumbs my sister had dropped. She had just finished eating and casually tossed the crumbs into the dustpan. She looked up at me and winked, "Love you."

I chuckled softly. Only she would say such trivial jokes to me. No, perhaps it's not just her anymore. Ye Zi is somewhat closer, but Lin Xue and Lin Yin's conditions aren't quite right. Even if she said it, I could only laugh it off as a joke.

I shook my head, deciding to stop thinking about it. I had originally planned to rest immediately, since I didn't have anything else to do, but my sister had taken the bed, so I had to postpone my sleep plans. I knew that if I told her I was going to sleep, she would obediently leave, but I didn't. I just sat down in the chair in front of the table and leaned back, trying to relax.

Although it's not something I can control, I'm still a little anxious about whether tomorrow will come. However, it's not a particularly troublesome matter for me. If there's no second chance, that would be better, since I've already obtained most of the key information through questioning and investigation. If tomorrow comes, I can certainly use the existing foundation to ask the remaining questions. Even if tomorrow doesn't come, I'm already familiar with how to achieve this situation, which will shorten my actions and allow me more time to ask more questions. Essentially, there's no difference.

Intelligence is always a very important thing.

I closed my eyes, tilted my head back, and although my neck was a little sore, maintaining this position made me feel much more comfortable. Besides my sister's laughter and the soft sound from her phone, I could also hear faint sounds of human activity coming from the living room—my parents were probably getting ready to go to bed. But it was almost time for them anyway; I came home quite late this time, and it would be almost bedtime by now.

I wonder what they'll think of me coming home late? Maybe they will, maybe they won't, but it's all my own fault, and my situation is fundamentally different from Lin Xue's. If my sister came home late, she'd probably get scolded, right?

I became a little curious about this.

When did you get back today?

"Hmm? Of course I came right after school. Where else could I go so late at night?"

My sister's voice came through at a certain distance.

"This is good. After all, it's not very safe at night, and there are fewer people around."

I inexplicably thought of that drunkard who influenced my judgment so many times. If my sister found out about such an irresponsible adult, she would probably be shocked.

With my eyes closed and head tilted back, drowsiness began to spread from the center of my brain outwards, and I couldn't help but let out a lazy snort, which my sister caught.

"Are you already sleepy? You don't have any classes today... Are you having that problem again?"

"It's nothing, I just feel a little tired. I don't feel any discomfort anywhere." I opened my eyes and turned to look at my sister: "It might be a little late to ask now, but you haven't told Mom and Dad about this, have you?"

"Not yet. But I still think you should tell them to go to the hospital for a check-up sometime beforehand, because if something goes wrong, who knows when it will happen. This time, it's all thanks to me being home." She frowned, put down her phone, and put her swinging legs back on the bed. However, she didn't seem to notice that she was still wearing slippers, which had been kicked onto my bed. I looked at her helplessly.

"Why don't you take your shoes off?"

"Oh, I forgot."

She swung her legs, throwing her slippers to the ground, but she didn't seem to have forgotten her purpose, which rendered my attempt to change the subject ineffective.

"Seriously, shouldn't you go to the hospital for a checkup?"

"No need, it's really just a small problem. If I were really feeling unwell, I wouldn't be foolish enough to bear it all alone. Don't worry about it."

"If only that were true." She sighed and looked at her phone again. "After all, you've always preferred to shoulder problems alone. If you had just talked to your parents, or even just to me, there wouldn't have been any problems."

But how could I trouble my own sister? I smiled, appreciating her kindness.

I know my own body perfectly well. As for that inexplicable situation, an experience I'd never had before, I figured going to the hospital wouldn't yield any results.

I kept my eyes closed, waiting for time to slowly pass by.

Chapter 146 The Time Ahead of Schedule

I felt someone shaking my body. I don't know when I fell asleep, but I gradually woke up again. When I opened my eyes, I saw my younger sister leaning over and looking at me. She was staring at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, trying to straighten my body. I had fallen asleep in the chair with my head tilted back. I didn't feel particularly uncomfortable while I was asleep, but the consequences would soon take effect. At least now my neck felt a little sore, even a bit stinging.

My expression seemed to have worried my sister, and she asked me anxiously, "Does something hurt again?" She put her hand on my shoulder and pressed on it, one of her hands pressing on the spot where I felt a little sore, which made me feel a little better.

"It's nothing, my neck is just a little sore from sleeping with my head tilted back for a while."

"If you're sleepy, you can just call me." She pressed her hand, perhaps feeling a sense of responsibility, but she wasn't the type to have much strength, and her hand quickly got tired. She pulled her hand away and flicked my forehead. It didn't hurt, but it gave me a slight fright.

What are you doing?

"This is a lesson you learned from not taking care of your body."

She chuckled and took two steps back, as if afraid I would take this opportunity to retaliate: "It's almost 12:30, you should rest. I'll go back to my room and play by myself."

"It's 12:30, stop playing..."

She gave a casual reply, turned, and left my bedroom, closing the door behind her. I knew she wouldn't listen to me, so I ignored her, got up from the chair, and lay down on the bed. As for the time, since my sister already said it was past midnight…

I picked up my phone and glanced at it. Sure enough, it was already June 12th, the day Ye Zi was supposed to jump off the building and commit suicide. Time couldn't go back... But actually, this was pretty good. Even if I missed asking some questions, I could find out more through other means later. After all, neither Ye Zi nor the Lin Xue and Lin Yin sisters should be too resistant to my questions, right?

I remembered that I had to meet Lin Xue tomorrow morning, so I set my alarm seventy minutes earlier than Lin Xue. She usually leaves home about an hour earlier than me; she leaves at 5:30, while I leave at 6:30. In order to find her on time, I had to match her schedule.

After setting the alarm, I put my phone on the bedside table and lay down. The bedroom light has two switches, one by the door and the other by the bedside, which makes it convenient not to have to walk to the door to turn it off. I closed my eyes, and my consciousness once again sank into darkness. But a familiar feeling began to well up inside me, enveloping my entire body; it felt comfortable, yet strange. My vision was completely black, but I couldn't open my eyes, nor could I control my body to make any movements I wanted. It was like drifting in endless darkness, the only difference being that it felt comfortable. If I weren't unable to move, I think I might even have groaned aloud.

This feeling came slowly and gradually became more obvious. I couldn't perceive the current state of time, and no tool could help me record the flow of time. Even my heartbeat was hidden in the darkness.

I drifted around as if my soul had detached from my body.

It surged in like the rising tide and receded like the falling tide. When I felt I could regain some control of my body, I opened my eyes with some difficulty. It was dark, but I could still make out my bedroom through the light from the window. I was lying on my bed, just as I had been when I was sleeping, nothing had changed.

This strange feeling compelled me to connect it to my recent experiences, but I had no idea what the connection was. I picked up my phone to check the time; it was still June 12th, the date hadn't changed, but the time had shifted from 12:30 to the early morning, or rather, 5:00 AM. My alarm was about to go off in about twelve minutes.

I'm not a diligent person, but I can't keep sleeping in this situation. Rather than wasting time for no reason, I choose to make use of this time, even if it's not very efficient, at least it will make my plans more flexible.

I got out of bed and changed my clothes in the dark. I was about to grab my phone when I realized I'd forgotten to charge it yesterday; the battery was down to less than 20%. If I had left an hour later as usual, I could have waited, but not now. I plugged my phone in to charge and left the bedroom.

Anyway, the phone is of very limited use to me, so it doesn't matter whether I bring it or not.

The space outside the bedroom was also very dark, but after a little adjustment, the light coming in from the window was enough for me to see what was happening outside. I headed towards the bathroom to wash up, and at the same time, I saw that my sister's room door was locked. Opposite to it was my parents' bedroom door, which was also locked, with no light coming through the cracks at the top and bottom.

They hadn't woken up yet, and I breathed a slight sigh of relief. I quickly washed up and went back to my bedroom, grabbed my empty schoolbag, and headed out. I walked along my usual route to school, but after only about halfway, I switched to another route—the one that passed the bridge in front of Lin Xue's building. Lin Xue should be out in a few minutes, right?

I planned to wait for her on the other side, but as I got closer to the abandoned park, I noticed some distinctly colored areas behind the dense bushes—areas that weren't there before. I moved a little closer; it was quiet all around except for the sound of my own footsteps and the river flowing beneath the bridge.

Perhaps my footsteps startled the other party, for the different part emerged from behind the bushes, and I saw its true form—Lin Xue, whom I had only parted from for less than eight hours.

Why did she arrive so early? I couldn't help but become cautious.

Chapter 147 March's Nickname

I walked over to her, but to my surprise, she started complaining to me: "Why are you so late?"

"It shouldn't be 5:30 yet, right? Why are you here so early? Didn't you say you weren't leaving until 5:30?"

"You didn't tell me what time you were coming, so I came out first. It's quite troublesome if we don't discuss it beforehand."

Didn't I mention this to her? I tried to recall, but I couldn't. Anyway, it's alright.

"Let's go." I invited her to go to school together. Although I had a lot to ask her, walking to school would save time. There wouldn't be many people around at this early hour.

I turned around and was about to walk towards the school along the road when Lin Xue called me back.

"Wait a moment."

I couldn't help but turn around, but as I did, a pair of hands suddenly reached over and wrapped around my neck, pulling me to one side. Soon, that familiar soft touch once again traveled from my lips to my brain. I was stunned for a moment before I realized what Lin Xue was doing, but I didn't stop her—or rather, I didn't want to stop her. I realized that I seemed to be enjoying the process myself.

Perhaps ten or fifteen seconds passed before Lin Xue, her face flushed, finally released me. Her face showed a hint of lingering enjoyment, but she at least appeared to be happy: "This is this morning's portion."

Lin Xue's current state is as if she is immersed in a certain event and cannot extricate herself. Her desire and initiative since last night surprised me. I think she is using this behavior as an outlet to relieve her stress instead of her previous actions. After all, I have cut off the route related to Ye Zi, so she naturally needs to find a new outlet.

I just didn't expect her to be so proactive in this regard. No, perhaps I should have realized it sooner; this characteristic had already been revealed when I went to the school late at night and was followed and ambushed by her. However, I can't quite recall the details… Oh well. That's all it is; it won't affect me much.

"If you're satisfied, let's go. Although there's still a lot to do, we can talk about it as we walk." I turned around and started walking along the road.

Lin Xue quickly caught up and walked alongside me, even taking my arm. She didn't seem worried about being seen by others... But then again, it was 5:30 in the morning, how many people would be awake at this time? As far as I could see, besides Lin Xue and me, I couldn't see anyone else.

Whether it was Lin Xue's intentional or unintentional action, I could always feel the softness emanating from her body through my arm. In order to provoke me into making a move, she seemed to be going all out.

"Do I look good in my dress today?" she asked me. I only just noticed the blue and white dress she was wearing. It showed off her figure very well. And I have to say, girls always manage to find clothes that suit them and that they like.

I nodded, then remembered something else: "Isn't today Monday? Where's your school uniform?"

"I brought my school uniform with me to school last night, and it's in my desk now. I only wear it once a week anyway, and it's quite inconvenient to wear it all the time."

"is it?"

Unlike Lin Xue, I kept my school uniform in my backpack, just the top part, which was enough for most people. I'd wear it when needed and put it away when not.

The topic seemed to have drifted a bit too far, so I refocused and asked myself some questions.

"Lin Xue, you..."

"Just call me Wan'er. I've been called that for so long, I'm already used to it."

"You don't seem to like this name very much."

"Then call it whatever you want, it's all about the same anyway."

I paused for a moment. I didn't want to offend her over such a small matter as her name. We'd finally achieved this, and it was something I'd cherished; it would be a real shame to upset her over something so trivial. But I didn't know what to call her, and I began to ponder.

"when is your birthday?"

"March is long gone. You can give me a birthday present now instead."

She moved my hand, constantly giving me hints, but that wasn't what I wanted.

"From now on, I'll just call you March. You don't like either of those other names anyway."

Lin Xue stopped, and I began to wonder if what I had just said was too frivolous and made her unhappy. Although she didn't like those two names, they were still names her parents had thought about carefully, unlike the names I had just picked out as if flipping through a dictionary.

Then, Lin Xue grabbed my hand tightly. I glanced at her face; it was a smiling face looking up at me. She seemed quite satisfied.

"No matter when, just call me March. Just call me March." I felt my hand being pressed down hard, as if my arm was being pressed into her body: "It won't be wrong, my choice won't be wrong."

This effect has exceeded my expectations. At the same time, her actions have gradually made me let down the guard I still had.

However, I had wasted some time again. I shook my head and prepared to get straight to the point.

"I have some questions I hope you can answer." Although the atmosphere was quite pleasant, to ensure Lin Xue's cooperation and to get her to be more honest with me, I added another condition: "If you answer me correctly and don't lie to me, then I'll grant you one request, something I can do. If you lie to me, or don't answer me, then whatever you want me to do, I will refuse without hesitation. Do you understand?"

After I finished speaking, I looked into Lin Xue's expectant eyes and realized once again that my additional condition was not entirely to get Lin Xue to answer my question.

I was enjoying the atmosphere and anticipating something... something that crossed the line I had previously tried to hold onto. Had I been completely changed, without even realizing it?

Even now, Lin Xue's soft body continues to disturb my thoughts.

Am I, in essence, also someone who is addicted to desire?